


Bark at the Moon

by UndertaleThingem



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gaster Blaster (Undertale), Angst, Cover Art, Digital Art, Evil W. D. Gaster, Gaster Blaster Papyrus (Undertale), Gaster Blaster Sans (Undertale), Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Papyrus (Undertale) Knows More Than He Lets On, Pre-Canon, Sans (Undertale) Has Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:41:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 74,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22194244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UndertaleThingem/pseuds/UndertaleThingem
Summary: The skeleton brothers of Snowdin have a good life--a nice house, friends, good food, good jobs--each other. Too bad their past has come back to bite them.-My take on the classic Gaster Blaster AU, hopefully with some new elements; updates Sundays. I hope you enjoy! ^^
Relationships: Alphys & Undyne (Undertale), Papyrus & Sans (Undertale), Papyrus & Undyne (Undertale)
Comments: 181
Kudos: 471





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Papyrus was well on his way to joining the Royal Guard. _Was._ Now, he’s not sure he can rejoin society-–if only for the sake of his brother. Because he doesn’t want to remind him of anything.
> 
> He doesn’t want to remind him of what they can become.  
> \--  
> Warnings: Mild body horror? Maybe? Please let me know if i need to add it to the tags-–if it’s any consolation, the content in question is all in one paragraph here in the prologue, and then hardly in the fic ever again.

The snow lay crisp and pristine in the clearing, wholly undisturbed after a solid night of frigid winds and blinding sleet that eventually became a dense layer of snow. Papyrus inhaled deeply, air rushing through his nasals as he steeled himself for a full day of puzzle construction and maintenance. Somewhere under this crystalline blanket was a brand-new tile puzzle designed by none other than the wonderful Dr. Alphys, and it was his duty to ensure it was up and running should a human finally come through.

At least the snow would show any footprints had one passed through overnight and evaded the night guard. He stared at the unbroken plane of white and tried to imagine what a human’s footprints would look like; humans were built a lot like skeletons, right? So they probably had similar feet and left similar footprints—all he had to do was look for prints like his own and he could track the human through the entire Underground if he so desired! He would finally, really prove himself worthy by figuring this out so quickly. Of course, none but the Great Papyrus could work out such a logical deduction!

_“A LOGICAL DEDUCTION. BUT FOR OUR PURPOSES_ _..._ _YOUR OTHER FORM IS MORE USEFUL._ _CHANGE.”_

White filled his vision. White, white, white snow, white, blank, blank white walls. He could see nothing else, feel nothing but a steely grip latch into his soul and tug it open. A jolt of _something_ —not quite pain, but unpleasant all the same—shocked down his spine, and he shuddered. It had been so long since he'd felt this--and it was overwhelming.

It drowned out all thought as it washed over him, vibrating through his bones; he shut his eyes and sank into the rush. He'd completely forgotten what this was like. Even if he could have, there was no point resisting it now, and really, the terrible snap of power humming through him was preferable to watching the deformation that came with it.

But he could still feel it. Long bones stretched, sutures separated and rewove themselves along new lines. Neural crests grew and sharpened into spikes, and even his spine lengthened until his low, toothy skull rested atop a long s-curved neck, and a whiplike tail lashed behind him. When it was all over, his bones had been completely remodeled from dentary to tailtip--the skeleton monster was nigh unrecognizable. A chimerical mix of mammalian and reptilian features, his new appearance had more in common with a mythical creature than anything alive or long extinct.

The first sensation that crashed into his reeling mind was scent--sharp, heady pine, damp, crisp snow--the dry, earthy scent of his own bones. He tried opening his eyes, bright orange irises igniting in his orbits--but his vision still swam, and took what felt like far too long to clear. When it finally passed, he rose, swayed on limbs both alien and familiar to him, and tried shaking the lingering dizziness from his skull. It persisted stubbornly, but he was just as stubborn if not more so and waited for the ache and lingering buzz of power to fade. At last the haze fell away, and he settled into the form he now bore as though he had never worn another with a sigh.

In a way this was true. Exchanging a smaller, friendlier shape for a long, spiky, intimidating one was something he’d always been able to do. He liked being friendly far more, knew deep in his soul that for as naturally as he bore it, this form didn’t suit him. It had been ages—it felt like another lifetime—since he’d last taken it, for good reason. He snorted, already over this, and called the power back.

But it didn't listen. He tried again, focusing on the energy that made up his soul, but it persisted as though nothing was different. Sitting in the snow, he tried thinking back--obviously he'd done this before, so he knew how to change. It just... wasn't... coming to him right now. That was okay, there were lots of things he didn't remember! That didn't mean he'd totally forgotten them, as his nightmares liked to remind him. He just needed to focus. He squeezed his eyes shut, and...

Nothing came to him. He tried again, wracking his memories for a clue, but all he found were dark corners he wasn't about to poke into. Until he remembered or rediscovered how to change back... he was stuck like this. His heart sank--no, no, that wouldn't do, he couldn't give up so soon! He tried calling on his magic again, pulling and straining at it until he felt frazzled. He couldn't let this stop him! He just had to--stop being this. Because while he didn't remember _much_ about why he was like this, he remembered enough to know that no one could ever know about it or see him in this form.

Especially not his brother.

Papyrus sighed, a long hiss gusting from between sharpened teeth. There were no human footprints and he'd gone and done this to himself. He looked down, flexing one clawed hand, then the other. It was funny, really… he would leave very strange, extremely non-humanlike tracks like this. _If_ , of course, he left any to find. Working quickly, he swept the snow from the tile puzzle, scraping away or burying any evidence of his transformation with hands, feet, and tail. Then, he picked up the shredded remains of his clothing, took one look back in the direction of Snowdin, and took a running leap into the forest as far as he could. He'd made his decision.

He wouldn’t come back until he’d remembered how to stop being a weapon.


	2. Empty Spaces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans notices something's wrong.

Sans lounged against the counter, lazily trailing a finger through the condensation left by the glass of milk he’d ordered. It was the only beverage he ever got besides ketchup, a fact that amused the other patrons far more than it did he or Grillby himself; the long-time bartender wasn’t one to judge, something Sans appreciated about him. He looked up as his fiery friend placed another plate of fries before him and straightened, ready to dig in. As he reached for the ketchup, light caught his eye, and he couldn’t help glancing over as someone checked their phone and the time flickered by briefly.

Sans froze.

It was a full thirty minutes after when Papyrus always came in to interrupt his break. He lowered a brow and glanced over his shoulder to scan the restaurant and street outside, but there was no sign of someone who was always trying to be noticed. Sans shrugged off his unease and turned back to his meal slowly, and noticed Grillby giving him a look.

‘ _Is everything alright?_ ’ he signed, his hands flickering as he chose to speak with them instead of his crackling, distorted voice. ‘ _Isn’t Papyrus usually here by now?_ ’

The curse of being the most regular of regulars--Sans grumbled inwardly before replying. “yeah. maybe he finally realized keeping me out of here is never gonna work.”

The closest patrons chuckled, though Grillby didn’t seem amused.

‘ _I see. If you need anything else, let me know._ ’

“of course, pal. you know i always do.”

Sans would have happily stayed at Grillby’s all day—he preferred the bar’s lively atmosphere to being alone with his thoughts. Cheering other people up with his bad jokes and low-brow gags always made it worthwhile. But hours passed and the dog guard changed multiple times without a single remark on his brother. Grillby was giving him increasingly concerned looks, so Sans decided it was time to check on him. There was no way Papyrus could've gotten into too much trouble—they’d lived in Snowdin for years now, and there was no evidence the anomaly had become active again, so...

He left the restaurant with promises to return soon and headed out onto the road. His brother’s daily routine was always the same, so it was easy to guess what he might be up to. It was just after one, so by about this time it should be his fourth round of puzzle calibration. Sans didn’t know how Papyrus did it—he managed to be so thorough, so exacting, never once looking at something that hadn’t changed a bit since his last visit and thinking it didn’t need inspecting again. If it were up to him, well, he just didn’t have that kind of energy anymore. Even shuffling through the snow today was wearing him out. All that dedication... Man, Papyrus was really cool.

He crossed the randomized tile puzzle and had just set foot on the path beyond it when he paused. Slowly, he turned, eyes roving over the plastic squares and taking in every detail. There were thin traces of snow left on them in little arcs. Papyrus never let anything obscure his puzzles unless that was part of the puzzle. Someone had cleared this hastily and without much care--not Papyrus' style at all. Brows furrowed, Sans turned to study the trail ahead of him. The snow lay unbroken as far as he could see down the path.

Better do this the smart way. Sans took a step forward, and space-time snapped around him. His sentry station sat empty, just as he’d left it, the only footprints around it his own. Sans took another step, and walked into the next section. Still no footprints. He turned back, and entered a small clearing that until now had laid untouched. Wow, it looked like even the teenagers that messed around out here hadn’t gotten to it yet. Last night's snowstorm must've chased everyone indoors.

Sans made it back to the tile puzzle without seeing a single hint that anyone but him had traversed the forest beyond. Papyrus never left anything unfinished, especially not the favorite part of his day.... Maybe he'd gotten sick? It was unlikely, but... Sans was back home with a click, and found all the rooms empty. Okay, so he wasn’t home. Papyrus was his own person, he could change his habits if he wanted to… Maybe he’d gone to talk to Undyne again.

“Haven’t seen him at all,” Undyne replied when he’d caught up to her. She was practicing lunges at the edge of a waterfall, which looked both incredibly cool and extremely dangerous. “You mean to tell me neither of you have been at your stations all day?”

“guess not, but i can promise you this is weird for me too,” Sans answered dryly, “and i don’t make promises lightly. too much responsibility, y'know?”

Undyne drew back and faced him, planting one hand on her hip while the other still grasped her spear. “Well, I can’t divert the rest of the Snowdin unit to look for him if that’s what you want, but… I know! I’ll call him.”

She pulled out her phone and dialed, then listened to it ring once, twice… three times… four… and never pick up. She stared at the phone for a moment before hitting redial, and they listened to the tones chime again to arrive at the same result. Sans ignored the sense of dread starting to prickle in his soul.

“Your brother always picks up after two rings, right? He told me that, after he gave me his number. Why wouldn’t he answer?” Undyne uttered, her eye darting between the screen and him.

“dunno. same reason he didn’t finish his puzzle maintenance, same reason he didn’t come get me at grillby’s. he’s... busy.”

Undyne grunted. “Sure. Well, keep looking and let me know when you find him. He may not be a member of the Guard yet, but he’s still a citizen... and my friend, so… y’know?”

“i mean. he’s my brother, so. i do know,” Sans replied with a wink. “when i know, you’ll know, and then everyone’ll know, y’know?”

“Oh my GOD!” Undyne roared, hurling her spear into the depths of a distant garbage heap. “JUST GO FIND HIM ALREADY!!!”

Sans didn’t need any more permission than that—he’d planned on continuing his search regardless. He put up a lazy salute, then headed out. He surveyed Snowdin again, and asked his Hotland customers at the hot dog stand if they’d seen his brother as they commuted home. He was considering the logistics of milk carton-missing posters at his Waterfall station when Undyne marched up, her armor clanging its way into his thoughts.

“Any luck?” she asked wearily, and he shrugged.

“i won a game of cards against myself, does that count?”

She dragged a hand across her face. “No. You mean you found no sign of him at all?"

"nope. guess i can only wait to see if something turns up."

"So you're just gonna give up on finding your brother then?”

Something twisted painfully in Sans’ chest. “... no. but if he hasn’t shown up by now i don’t see what else we can do. maybe he's planning an epic prank.”

Undyne's scowl twitched briefly into a smile. “… I guess. I mean, if nothing else, he’ll probably just come home tonight, right? Anyway, I actually came by to tell you to go home. Night shift’ll take it from here.”

“thanks. see ya bright and early tomorrow,” Sans said, rising from his seat and heading down the passage.

“Oh, and tell Papyrus to call me when he gets back! I have some words for him!” Undyne shouted, and he gave her a thumbs up before rounding the corner right into his living room.

Sans dozed off sometime that evening, and woke up disoriented to find he’d slept halfway through the next morning. So much for getting to work early, and... there was still no sign of his brother. He debated whether to slip back into sleep or to get up and look again, and languished on the couch for a while, waffling back and forth...

Sans shuffled through the snow, unease nestled firmly in his ribs as he passed other sentry stations and puzzles frosted by a new coat of snow. Pawprints indicated the other guards had been through on their rounds, and there were a few tracks he recognized from the various teenagers, but nothing that matched Papyrus' boots. He reached the randomized tile puzzle again, looked it over, and slowly sank down, legs folded under him. Reaching out, he took up some of the snow in his hand and sifted through it. It all seemed to pack like snow, and not dust.

Maybe Sans could have dealt with dust. At least he’d have an answer and could muddle through until a reset brought everything back, but the anomaly hadn’t been active lately so he couldn’t be sure how long he’d have to wait. He’d still have to check a couple other spots to be sure, but at least it seemed like Papyrus wasn’t dead. In either case he just had to wait, and he was pretty good at that.

He sifted through other locations on the puzzle deck but came up with snow every time, and with a weary sigh decided it was time to head to Grillby’s. He wasn’t sure what he’d tell the other regulars… surely news had spread by now, so there’d be talk. Maybe he'd tell them Papyrus was on vacation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story continues with a change in perspective and look at how Sans is doing; we'll be sticking with him for a little bit yet. Thank you for reading--I hope you look forward to the next chapter!


	3. Reconnections, Recollections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans is at a loss for what to do. He's lucky his brother isn't the only one who looks out for him, and that he's not the only one looking out for Papyrus...
> 
> But they both have a lot of work ahead of them.

It had been two weeks. Two long, empty, lonely weeks. Sans hadn’t given up on his brother, per se, but he had given up on looking for him. A check on the numbers revealed nothing out of the ordinary; as far as he could tell, Papyrus was definitely still alive, and there was nothing funky with the timeline. More mundane sources of information continued to come up dry, and the few times Sans had gone out, there was a subtle unease in town. If only Papyrus knew his neighbors missed him... not to mention his own brother. It was like he'd vanished into thin air, and Sans knew that was one thing his brother _couldn't_ do. So he was just... gone.

Sans was starting to feel he'd messed up somehow. He knew he was far from being a perfect or even a really good brother, but he didn’t think he’d done anything to make Papyrus feel running away was necessary…. No, Papyrus would have aired his grievances long before that, he was sure.... But then again, would he? It's not like Sans ever _did_ anything about all the things he nagged him for. Maybe after feeling unheard for so long, he'd left. A cruel voice in his mind liked to whisper as much and worse, and without Papyrus to motivate him, he wasn't doing much to combat it.

He rolled over on the couch and ignored the empty chip bag that crinkled under him, the remains of lunch. Going to Grillby’s had become too taxing sometime last week, and most other foods were similarly inconvenient if they sounded good at all. He wanted nothing more than for Papyrus to burst in and scold him for being so lazy, but dreams of exactly that and the knowledge none of this mattered anyway had spoiled his hopes. He’d just wait, like he always did. He heaved a sigh, and was letting his eyelids drift down when a knock on his door startled him.

He waited, and it came again--much harder.

“Sans?” Undyne called, her voice only slightly muffled by the door. “Sans, you better be in there. I'm gonna bust this down if you don't answer now!”

Oh boy. He hauled himself up, brushed off the worst of the crumbs, and answered the door. Undyne grimaced as she studied him.

“Oh thank god, but dude, you look awful. I was here to see if you were okay, but, I think I just got my answer. C’mon, you’re not staying inside anymore.”

“eh, i’m not really feeling up to going out,” Sans mumbled, wondering if he looked as tired as he felt. “was kinda hoping you had info on my bro, to be honest, but…”

“Sans, no one’s seen you in three weeks,” Undyne stated.

Sans looked up at her with brows furrowed, questioning.

“i was just at grillby’s like… five days ago,” he protested, but Undyne shook her head.

“Grillby himself called me in on a wellness check. It’s been three. Weeks. Two since Papyrus… disappeared. I… guess you lost track of time, huh?”

Sans wilted--he was missing a whole week. “… it really flies when you’re having fun. sorry you went through all this trouble. tell grillby…. i dunno. tell him i’m ok, i guess.”

“You’re not okay,” Undyne growled, snatching the shoulder of his hoodie. “What if Papyrus came home to find you like this? Or—or worse!? Come on! We’re getting you cleaned up, making you eat some real food, and then we’re going out to look for Papyrus because if this keeps going we’ll lose BOTH of you.”

Sans didn’t have it in him to protest. She... she was right. He let her strongarm him into his own house and into the shower—though she gave him his privacy once she’d turned the water on, and the warmth felt so nice he considered staying in for a few days. But that would mean missing out on food he probably wouldn't be paying for, and he was actually hungry now. He washed up and put on the change of clothes Undyne had left him, and when he did finally emerge he found she’d thrown most of the trash away and there was an open spot on the couch. It was fated to remain empty though as she hooked her arm around his shoulders and marched him out the door.

Grillby’s exploded in shock when the two walked in, and they were swarmed by the regulars trying to greet them. Undyne howled, ordering everyone to give Sans some space, and they were finally able to make their way to the bar. If Sans was honest, part of him didn’t really want to be here, but more of him could admit he’d missed it. His friends were quick to fill him in on the latest gossip and jokes, and he realized they were doing for him what he'd done for them so many times before. They were trying to cheer him up.

After enjoying good company and a meal Grillby had assured him was on the house, at Undyne's urging they headed out to begin the search anew. Sans dreaded reaching the tile puzzle now, knowing it was the last place with any evidence of his brother and yet be such a glaring dead end. He sighed, and nudged some of the freshly accumulated snow with his slipper as Undyne talked on her phone behind him.

“Wait a minute, I’ll ask. Hey Sans,” she spoke, tapping his shoulder. “You remember what day it was that all this started?”

“yeah. it was… tuesday, exactly two—well, three weeks ago,” he answered.

“Thanks! Okay, um… as far as I know, he starts at 6 AM, sharp. Yeah. It would’ve taken him a little while to… okay, gotcha. I’ll hang on.”

There was a long pause. Sans wondered if he really could fall asleep standing up. Odds were looking pretty good. He let his eyelids slip down...

“So… you do see something? Uh-huh… that’s too bad about the lens, but you can confirm there was movement here during our timeframe? Awesome. Well, not awesome, but, you know. Thanks Alphys, you’re the best. Talk to you later.”

“well?”

“Dr. Alphys set up these cameras all over to watch for humans, and as it happens, they caught Papyrus walking over here, but not getting any farther than that. Thanks to that snowstorm, this area’s camera got iced over--of _course_ \--but she could see enough to make out… something,” Undyne explained. “Hold on, she’s gonna text me a couple pictures.”

There was a ping, and she studied the images with a frown before holding it out for Sans.

“I dunno. I definitely see _something_ , but, can you make any sense of this?”

Sans took her phone and studied the blurry pictures. He could barely make out the trees in the background, but at least the division between them and the snow-covered ground was clear enough. There wasn’t anything that looked particularly like his brother, but there was a whitish arch of something and a smudge of orange that seemed to dart across the frame. It was a better hint than anything they’d had before, but what was it?

Sans squinted at the pictures—wait, was the arch a spine? And his tired mind dredged up memories he hadn't known he had. A lab. A scientist. Two living weapons, the pinnacle of magical engineering--and an accident that erased nearly all evidence it had ever happened. A hand on his shoulder steadied him, and he looked up to see Undyne giving him a worried look. He handed her phone back wordlessly and shoved his hands into his pockets, magic racing.

“Are you okay? You got kinda… unsteady there for a moment.”

“’m fine,” he answered, well aware his eye lights had blinked out.

“Sans, dude, you’re freaking me out,” Undyne called as he walked away, inspecting the edges of the clearing and peering into the trees.

“can i ask you a favor?”

“Uh… yeah?”

“go pick up the least greasy thing from grillby’s you can and wait here. i know what happened to papyrus,” Sans stated, staring into the depths of the forest. The indents were distant and faint from layers of fresh snowfall, but he could see the pattern now and wondered how he hadn’t noticed them before. No points for him, that was sure.

“Uh, sure thing. See you… both? Soon,” Undyne said, and in a blink he was gone.

The forests outside Snowdin were thick and ancient, and most monsters avoided their depths. It was largely the threat of frostbite and getting lost that kept them away, but save for a few exceptions monsters generally preferred company and civilization to untamed forest anyway. If this was where he’d run, it made sense Papyrus hadn’t been found by anyone.

Sans followed his brother’s tracks—long, bounding marks that only increased in distance from one another as he’d picked up speed—and called his name, hoping the trees and snow wouldn’t simply swallow his muted voice altogether. It got darker, and quieter, and there was a growing sense he was trespassing. If he didn’t have his shortcuts Sans might’ve been afraid of losing his way, but it didn’t matter. Shortcuts or not, he would have kept searching now that he had a lead. Considering what the last three weeks had done to him, who knew what state Papyrus would be in.

He eventually found himself in a wide clearing where fresh snow and gusting winds had swept the tracks clean, and sighed. His trail had gone cold again, and he gave a halfhearted laugh at the pun. Papyrus would have hated it…. What he wouldn’t give to hear his exasperated groans again. He called his brother’s name, and listened to it echo faintly until silence laid heavily over him once more. That was the worst of all—the utter silence of an empty world.

Wood cracked behind him, and Sans whirled, magic flaring in his left socket. A pair of orange rings that almost matched met his gaze, and for a moment it was all he saw before he made out the rest of the entity’s face and body from the surrounding gloom. His magic faded, and he sank to the ground. He wasn’t sure how much time passed as they simply stared at one another, but it had to have been at least five minutes before he found his voice and finally addressed the being watching him.

“papyrus?”

A raspy whine answered, and Sans winced. It was his brother’s voice, but weaker, and wordless. Papyrus had always been so proud to learn new words, but now he wouldn’t say even one. This was bad.

“c’mere bro, let’s get you home, huh?”

Papyrus stared for a while, and Sans tried not to listen to the rising panic in his soul. He'd come when he'd called, he had to remember, had to recognize him, right? Why was he still standing so far away...?

"... bro?"

Finally, Papyrus shook himself out, inhaled, then staunchly shook his head with a huff. He hesitated, but did walk over, head held low as he slowly approached. He paused again, only a few feet away and studying him warily—then sat and curled around himself. Sans eyed him sadly, not liking how faint his eye lights were or that he didn’t want to come home. He thought for a while, then leaned back on his hands with a sigh.

“look… i get it. you don’t want to show off your cool bod, it’d be too awesome for anyone to handle and you can’t bear to do that to someone.”

Something that sounded loosely like “nyeh heh heh” chuffed from Papyrus’ jaws.

“but… it’s been three weeks, bro, goin' on a month. everyone wants to know where you went. uh… i’ve been… even lazier than usual without you. i’ll warn ya now, you’re gonna have some major vacuuming to do.”

An exasperated groan rose from his brother.

“i know, i know. but… bro… you can’t be okay with living like an animal out here. I’M not okay with you living like an animal out here. c'mon, undyne’s waiting for us with food, somethin’ hot from grillby’s, and i specifically asked her to get the least greasy thing she could order 'cause i know how you feel about it. there’s a whole month of mtt shows to catch up on. there’s… bedtime stories, and i can’t afford to slack on those, heh…”

Papyrus gave a shuddering sigh. Sans watched as he stretched out his long forelimbs and turned his palms up, contemplating the digits tipped with slender, deadly claws. Then, he buried his face in the snow and laid his hands across his skull, a picture of despair.

“bro, papyrus, it’s ok. you’re smart, you’ll figure out how to change back,” Sans comforted, reaching out to pat his brother’s head. "you're not gonna let something like this get you down, are ya? c'mon. let's go home.”

Papyrus finally raised his head. He looked so tired as he fixed him with a weary look, and Sans’ soul ached. He could only begin to imagine how his brother had felt out here, by himself in a body that must have stirred up old memories—too many of which were unpleasant. But the light shone in Papyrus’ sockets just a little brighter, and he stood up swiftly, head held high.

And then he fainted.

Sans did his best to appear at his side to catch him, but even if skeletons weren’t heavy monsters Sans was decidedly not in shape and the impact made him stumble. He took a moment to regain his footing, but with his brother limp but in his grasp at last, he removed them from that part of reality and placed them back in the tile puzzle room. Undyne jumped at their sudden appearance and would have probably summoned a spear or two if she weren't already holding a takeout bag. Her eye darted over them, and Sans might’ve laughed at her dumbfounded expression if his brother hadn’t still been unconscious.

“What. The HELL. IS THAT?!” she finally shouted as he laid Papyrus down gently, and he bristled at her harsh words.

“excuse you. THAT happens to be my brother.”

Undyne gestured wildly before finding words to express herself again. “BUT? HOW?? WHAT??!”

Papyrus finally moved, his eyes blinking open, though it took a moment for his irises to reignite. Sans ignored Undyne’s flailing and snatched the takeout from her, sitting near his brother’s head and digging around for whatever awaited in the small paper bag. A few days without food wouldn’t affect a monster’s health much, and certainly not someone with high stats like Papyrus, but nearly a month was another story and he was more than a little worried. He withdrew what turned out to be a toasted turkey club sandwich, mentally thanked both Grillby and Undyne for listening, and helped his brother sit up to finally eat something. It wouldn’t be enough to bring Papyrus’ energy back all the way, but he’d be better off than where he was now by a long shot.

The sandwich was snapped up upon being offered, and after a moment Papyrus felt strong enough to stand on his own. Undyne had settled into just staring at them both skeptically, jaw slack and hands clenching and unclenching as if to summon a spear at any moment. Sans crumpled up the bag and stuck it in his pocket, and looked from his brother to the guard captain with amusement. Papyrus looked nervous—or maybe embarrassed, and his first attempt to speak came out as a gusty hiss. But he stepped back, took a moment, and coughed into his fist to clear his throat.

“Hello, Undyne.”

If Undyne had been dumbfounded before, she was well and truly stunned now. She sank to her knees staring, and Sans couldn’t help but laugh at her. A scream started to croak from her, and he decided it’d be best they all headed back to their house before her yelling attracted attention from the other patrols. He beckoned his brother over, and took Undyne’s wrist as he laid a hand on Papyrus’ shoulder, and in an instant they were in the living room... not a moment too soon.

Undyne screeched at the top of her lungs, reaching a truly impressive volume even Papyrus winced at. Her next instinct was apparently to fight, lunging for her friend as if to throw him over her head. Sans darted out of the way as she sped past, and a soft ping sounded before she was flung sideways into the couch. Papyrus gave his brother a disapproving look, but he gave it right back.

“no fighting in my house,” he said, wagging a teasing finger. “sorry to burst your bubble, undyne, but until papyrus is back at full strength i’m not letting you beat him up.”

“I’M NOT GONNA BEAT HIM UP! I’M JUST GONNA PUNCH HIM FOR BEING DUMB!!!” Undyne roared, leaping from the couch and promptly hauled flat on her face. She growled and pushed herself up, only to fly to the ceiling and stick flat on her back. “Will you QUIT with the BLUE MAGIC?!”

“not unless you stop trying to hit my bro,” Sans countered, and Papyrus laid a hand across his eyes.

“Sans, please put Undyne, who need I remind you is our boss, back on the ground?" he asked, voice still shaky from disuse. "I am quite capable of handling her rigorous expressions of affection, thank you.”

Sans looked over to him and sighed. “you’re right as always bro. i just… i know you’re tough and all, but you’re also not at 100 percent and undyne is pretty intense.”

“YOU BET I AM!”

“plus, i haven’t seen you in basically forever after you disappeared, so forgive me for bein’ a little protective.”

Undyne drifted down at last, and though she glared at Sans she didn’t seem intent on continuing her charge when she landed. Instead, she sat decisively on the couch and folded her arms, fixing them each with a sharp look. “Okay. Here’s what’s going to happen. BOTH of you are going to explain what the HECK is going on with Papyrus, and THEN! We’re getting him something else to eat so we don’t have to treat him like a delicate flower.”

“Flowers are actually quite tough!” Papyrus offered, but shrank under a skeptical glare.

“SO! Who wants to start telling me why or how Papyrus ended up as a… dog-dragon-horse thing?”

The brothers exchanged looks.

“It’s just a skeleton thing, you wouldn’t understand,” Papyrus dismissed. “Most of the time I am the wonderful tall fellow you are familiar with, but if I so wish, I can become… this! It’s a thing.”

“yup, it’s true,” Sans confirmed, but Undyne didn’t look convinced.

“So, you could transform into this awesome creature this whole time… and you never told me?!”

“W-well, you see, I never had reason to bring it up! My usual good looks are more than enough as well as more practical for my day-to-day life, so, I much prefer them. Not to mention I… actually completely forgot how to change. Such things happen even to someone as great as me, tragically…” Papyrus explained, his claws fidgeting, "but it's fine! This is totally a normal thing."

Undyne considered his words and finally relaxed. “Huh. Well, do you… remember how to change back?”

“do you think he would have run away if he did?” Sans shot, and she deflated.

“Right. But, if it’s just something you can do, why’d you hide it? There’s all sorts of monsters out there, no one would even blink at you.”

Papyrus grunted nervously. “Consider that this form is considerably more intimidating, and I, already a sight to behold… Not to mention! I want to be known based on my merits--my wit, my battle prowess, my shockingly handsome bones! Not a silly transformation gimmick that wears off within an hour of playing with it.”

Undyne laughed, a welcome sound after her furious screams. “I guess that’s fair. Wait, if this is a skeleton thing… does this mean Sans can do it too?!”

“nope. even if i could... i'm way too lazy for any shapeshifting shenanigans,” Sans answered lightly. “my bro has the ‘cool werewolf’ gig all to himself.”

“I am not a werewolf!!!” Papyrus cried, stomping his feet as the others chuckled. "I am still, clearly, a skeleton!"

“Alright, well, I guess that’s good enough for me. You dudes need anything, let me know, but now that this is resolved I have work to get back to. Oh yeah… Papyrus, consider figuring out how to change back your new assignment. If you really don’t want to go out looking like that, I figure it’s pretty much top priority. And Sans… you get half watch shifts this week, since you’ll probably have to help Papyrus out with… a lot. Sound good?”

“you know i won’t complain about working less,” Sans teased, and she rolled her eye.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you punks later, okay? Call me if you need anything--it's... really good to have you back, Papyrus.”

Papyrus looked like he didn't know what to say.

She finally left, closing the door behind her. Sans heaved a sigh, and debated whether to make the effort to move to the couch or just sit on the floor. He decided the floor was good enough. Papyrus made a face but sat too, drawing his own deep sigh.

“Well, what are we going to do, brother?”

“i dunno, bro. you need something else to eat, for one. but beyond that… i dunno. mostly… i’m just glad you’re back too.”

“If I am honest, it is good to be back. You weren’t kidding about the vacuuming though, ugh. Did you do anything while I was gone?”

“… i slept.”

Papyrus groaned. “You would. In any case… I am still rather famished. As you can guess, the forest... didn't exactly have grocery stores. Pardon me if I don’t cook fresh spaghetti for us, I’m sure you’ve missed it terribly.”

“more than i thought i could,” Sans laughed, and it was true. It had never been the flavor that was enjoyable about Papyrus’ cooking.

Sans proposed various techniques for Papyrus to try changing back over dinner, many of which he’d already thought of and attempted. He continued regardless, suggesting progressively ridiculous remedies until Papyrus laughed at him. They curled up on the couch together to watch TV, and Sans was happy to see his brother’s eyes drift closed—Papyrus never seemed to sleep, even when he really needed it.

No doubt he really needed it now.

The next day saw about as much progress, and Papyrus’ happiness fade. Sans tried to ignore the worry growing inside him, but it was clear that the time alone with no success had done a number on Papyrus’ self-confidence. Toss in whatever memories he might’ve relived and no wonder he was having doubts.

Sans watched him pace the living room floor, occasionally sweeping up stray bits of trash he hadn’t noticed before. He was antsy, and judging by the way his tail lashed he was increasingly agitated by the situation. The fact he had to stay inside probably wasn’t helping either.

“you wanna go let off some steam somewhere?” Sans suggested before his brother could start another transit across the carpet, and he startled out of his thoughts.

“Hm? Oh, I’m fine! I just need to think!” he replied, standing stiffly. “The Great Papyrus will not be bested yet!”

“no way, but, i was just thinking you might like to get out before you wear a rut in the floor,” Sans continued, and Papyrus glanced at the carpet. There were a few places where his claws had snagged, and they all aligned perfectly with where he’d been pacing.

“Ah. I see your point. Where could we go? I don’t want anyone to see…”

“i was thinking the woods, middle of nowhere. kinda where you ran away to, but not for another three weeks, heh.”

“That sounds suitable. Alright! We do have a nice house but I can admit it is rather cramped for someone of my stature at this time, so! Take us away, brother!”

Sans obliged, and in an instant they stood in the clearing where they’d reunited only yesterday. Papyrus inhaled deeply and took off running, and Sans happily watched him tear across the field—getting some exercise was just what an active guy like his younger brother needed, and it wasn’t fair to make him stay indoors all the time. He leapt, and rolled, and sprinted through the snow, cackling all the while as he exerted himself. Sans waved to get his attention, then summoned a maze of bones for him to dodge and weave around. Papyrus raced through it flawlessly, and Sans couldn’t help but swell with pride. His brother was so cool.

As he watched, he could almost remember what it was like too.

Something juddered out of sync in his soul, and he froze. Oh no, nope, he was not doing this now or ever again. He shut his eyes and thought about how nice it was to be what he was now, tried to focus on how his soul had felt before something else had awakened within it, and was relieved to feel that foreign sensation die away. The Underground didn’t need two of them running around, and Papyrus had always had an easier time switching forms than he did—even when they both remembered how it all worked. Rubbing the side of his skull, he sat in the snow, and when the magic maze dissipated Papyrus came over to see what was wrong.

“Sans? Are you alright?”

“yep, fine. all those bones wore me out.”

Papyrus made a face. “You really do need to work out more! That was hardly anything compared to what you used to do.”

“yeah, well, that was before i discovered being lazy is the best thing in the world.”

Papyrus groaned. “If I need exercise you do too! Come on, lazybones!”

He was hauled up with a clawed hand and nudged in the back by a toothy snout, and gave an exaggerated groan as he stood. “these legs were not made for running, i’ll have you know.”

“Oh, come on Sans, I know you can do it! Chase me!”

Papyrus dashed off once more, and Sans took a few steps before simply cutting into his brother’s path. The indignant howl he got in return was worth being shoved into the snow, and in retaliation he used a touch of blue magic to bowl his brother over. Papyrus kicked, sending a shower of slush over him, and for a moment they just laughed at one another.

“I suppose I shouldn’t have expected anything else from you,” Papyrus finally said, pushing from the snow. “You have grown to enjoy a much slower pace ever since we… since whatever happened."

“yup, i’m gonna enjoy every moment i get. though, i will say… without you around to push me, i do get… too lazy,” Sans admitted, then sighed. “to be honest bro... it woulda been fine if you’d given me a sign you were okay, a note, anything, but not knowing if you were ever gonna come back... or why you left... well, it was rough. so, uh, i guess what i’m saying is… don’t do that again or i’ll have to ground you.”

Papyrus studied him, then hung his head. “I’m sorry Sans, I know I should have, but… I was. Uncertain.”

It was Sans’ turn to prop himself up and look quizzically at his brother. “about what?”

Papyrus fidgeted under his gaze, clearly considering his words before he continued. “How much do you remember of what happened to us?"

Sans furrowed a brow. "more than i'd like, but less than i should."

“S-so, w-well, when this, happened, I—I didn’t want you to see. I didn’t want anyone to see, but especially not you, because I remembered—I remembered a little of how bad we had it, and if you didn’t remember, I didn’t want to accidentally remind you,” Papyrus explained, digging his claws into the ground. “And then you came and found me, and didn’t care that I was what I am, and I felt like a fool for thinking it was better I had left without a word. I’m sorry, brother.”

Sans leaned back with a soft, bittersweet chuckle. “and here i always kept the fact i remembered anything a secret ‘cause i didn’t want you to worry either. we’re hilarious, a real comedy of errors.”

“Indeed.”

“anyway. the important thing is figuring out how you can change back. i don’t remember a thing about that myself, and obviously neither do you. seems like a thing you just gotta feel.”

“Agreed,” Papyrus huffed. “It used to be so easy! How did we do that? As effortless as the bones we conjure, as natural as breathing! It’s so… so frustrating Sans. I… I don’t want to be this. It’s so easy to just... let my thoughts slip away. And I remember that... they wanted us to lose them, wanted us to... be less of us. And after all I've worked for, I refuse to go back to that!”

"you got this, bro. despite everything that's happened, it's still you."

“I know… It’s hard though. But! Hard things have never discouraged me before! We just have to keep trying no matter how long it takes!”

“you got it,” Sans said, his mood lifting at his brother’s boundless optimism. “you ready to head back home then?”

“I think I’m going to take one more lap! You should try to as well, and no cheating!”

“if i did we’d be here for another hour. you go ahead, i’ll be right here.”

Sans watched him rise and make one last circuit around the clearing, then in a blink they were both back home. Papyrus shook snow from his talons and gave a contented sigh, then sat with a determined look on his face. He puffed out his chest, and Sans knew he was in for one of his brother’s monologues.

“Now that my restlessness has been cured, it! Is time! I can approach the issue of my transformation with a clear head! The simple fact remains that my memory of the technique has been obscured by forces strange and concerning, but! I was able to recall how to turn with the simple triggering of a distant memory of the instruction to do so, so! It stands to reason that a memory of the opposite instruction will have the same effect. Said memories may be distressing and difficult to pinpoint, but! The Great Papyrus has never been one to back down in the face of danger! Nyeheh!”

“nope. like i said bro, you were the bravest one there,” Sans affirmed, sifting through his own tenuous recall of their old lives. “i was never strong enough to do anything, and the... assistants, well... they never spoke up about animal cruelty either. says a lot about them, and none of it’s good.”

Papyrus looked at him sadly. "You know, Sans... I don't think they knew what we really were. With how he was, how could they? I think even he pretended not to sometimes..."

Sans huffed a short sigh. "yeah. think you might be right about that."

“… I wish it all could have been different.”

“me too.”

“But! It’s different now! We’re the determiners of our fates! And I say I will be this beast no longer!” Papyrus declared brightly, banishing the grim mood that had settled in momentarily. Standing proudly, he scrunched his eyes shut and concentrated—to no avail. He sighed, and let his legs slide out from under him until he lay spread-eagle on the carpet.

“i can’t believe i’m seeing my brother lay down on the floor with my own two eyes,” Sans teased, and Papyrus scrambled to rise.

“Nyeh! Do not think for an instant I was being anything remotely close to ‘lazy’ or ‘tired’!” Papyrus refuted, glaring at him with comically bugged eyes. “The effort of trying to overcome my natural inclination for this form simply took some recovering from!”

“so, you were tired,” Sans summarized, earning more disgruntled complaint from his brother. He’d missed this so much.

“Fine! Yes! I required a brief respite,” Papyrus conceded, sitting back on his haunches so he could fold his arms. “If I am honest I am quite tired of this form’s stubbornness! I know I must have been instructed to change many times, but I cannot recall how I managed such a simple task and it! Is! The! Worst! Thing!”

“wow, and that’s pretty bad, since that means it’s even worse than my jokes,” Sans commented, and his brother stamped his forefeet down.

“It is!”

“well, we better get to work then. undyne said this was your new assignment, i can’t believe how much you’ve slacked off on it already.”

“No! Nooooo!” Papyrus howled, clasping his head in his hands.

The banter continued as the brothers worked to recall what had once been a regular part of their lives. Some memories slowly filtered back, hazes of shadows and sharp objects resolving into people with needles and too-bright rooms full of instruments. Long nights that sometimes became days that became nights again, spent alone and shivering in an empty room. Hours of training for a task neither of them really understood, harsh tests of every aspect of their abilities imaginable, pushing them to the limits of their endurance. Fleeting moments of happiness together.

All encouraged and directed by a man whose words could seem kind, but masked a cruel curiosity and an unbending will. They were never meant to have souls or personalities. He was going to ensure his work continued despite those.

But for all these memories, there were still gaps. Black holes that would never divulge the information that had once been there--and considering the nature of what Sans did remember, he couldn't help but feel perhaps that was for the best. But if Papyrus' memory of how to shift back had been engulfed by one of these voids... then he might not ever remember, and have to figure it out all over again. On Sans’ part, he’d at least recalled why he _didn’t_ know the method to change back, and it had nothing to do with a spotty memory.

_“AT LEAST IN YOUR OTHER FORM YOU LOOK MORE LIKE A SUCCESS._ _NEVER TAKE THIS SHAPE AGAIN._ _”_

The words had stung anew, a biting remark on a small, frail body that was useless to a lab that only made weapons. He ought to at least look the part, and wasn't allowed anything else. It was only the third time Sans had taken that smaller form in the lab; from then on, he'd slowly accepted his life as a beast. It was easier that way.

"I think perhaps we've had enough," Papyrus said in a low voice, shaking him out of a flat stare after recalling that particular memory. "Let's take our minds off things for a while!"

Sans was glad to get up and laze in front of the TV as Papyrus reheated leftovers for them both. MTT had something mindless on as usual, and it was just the thing for drowning out painful memories. Papyrus snorted when he noticed his brother had fallen asleep, and busied himself with cleaning up the dishes before rejoining him on the couch to doze himself. It had been a long day, but more were sure to follow. They needed all the rest they could get.

It wasn't going to come easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter at last--I think I've decided to update on Sundays, but maybe not every Sunday :"D That chapters are ready to go, but I paint chapter headers for Tumblr and I only have a few of those done...
> 
> In any case, I hope you enjoyed this chapter--I know it seems like Papyrus is back quite early, but it's just the beginning of these skeletons' struggles... =u=;


	4. Lost Patience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunited, the brothers try to get things back to normal. Sans thinks going back to where it all started holds the answer... but it’s never so simple.

Nearly a month had passed since Sans had retrieved his brother from his self-imposed exile. Despite wracking their brains and recalling trials no creature should have endured, neither had gotten any closer to remembering or rediscovering anything useful, and the stress was taking its toll. Papyrus collapsed from lack of sleep one day, and only reluctantly explained he was avoiding nightmares after Sans uncharacteristically snapped at him. They’d had their disagreements over the years, but this was the worst in a series of fresh spats that had erupted in the brothers' household as frustrations mounted. Sans hated it, maybe even more than Papyrus did.

He was supposed to be the chill guy who stayed calm no matter what... But he'd found himself in increasingly bad moods as time went on. It was getting hard to be as friendly as usual when he went out, and though no one had said anything they were starting to notice. Passers-by would give him a bit more space if they crossed his path, and the other regulars at Grillby's were hesitant to joke with him as much as usual.

And then one night, he was awoken by his brother and found he’d punched a series of holes in the wall with a bone attack in his sleep. So he’d started avoiding sleep too. His mind buzzed with too many thoughts anyway as it tried to find a solution. He didn't care too much what happened to him--not while Papyrus was stuck like this. All that mattered was making sure he could be happy again.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, brother, but you need to rest,” Papyrus begged him one afternoon as he stubbornly read a book on magical theory. “You look terrible, and I think it’d be for the best in this instance.”

“what’d be best is if we could get this figured out. i’m not gonna let you be forced to live as what he wanted you to be,” Sans retorted, eyes fixed on the page in front of him, and Papyrus made a worried hum.

“Well, yes, that would be ideal, but, I think at the moment it’s best you, er, returned to your lazy ways and got a nap.”

Sans stiffened and didn’t answer for a while. “… bro. we escaped that place and got him back for everything he did to us. knowing you’re stuck as something you never wanted to be, something you shouldn’t have to be… i can’t rest until you’re free to be who you want again. y’know?”

“Oh Sans…” Papyrus sighed, “I really appreciate how much effort you’ve put into this. It’s… more than I expected, if I’m honest, and it means a lot to me. But I don’t want you making yourself sick, or, hurting yourself somehow, or—or anything of that nature, so please, go take a nap. The book will still be there when you wake up.”

“yeah, and i’m reading it now. aren't you always saying sleep's a waste of my time?”

“Sans... I, um, think I may have been slightly. Wrong. About that. Because you without sleep is not a very good version of you. I hate to do this, but... please go sleep. If not for yourself, then… for me?” Papyrus pleaded, tilting his head sadly.

“... ok,” Sans finally conceded. He flipped the book shut, slid from the table and trudged up to his room—but not to sleep. That had been a lie. He waited, listened to Papyrus nervously approach and hover around his door for a few minutes before slowly returning downstairs, then took a shortcut into the abandoned, sealed-off section of the labs in Hotland.

He was glad he was a skeleton as he inhaled stale air a monster with real lungs would have suffocated in and stalked through the pitch-dark halls, his way illuminated by his eyes alone. Turning corners and passing ragged, deteriorating equipment, he indulged the flashbacks that followed him through the facility. It was worth pursuing whatever memories surfaced, even when they were painful, on the off chance it'd unlock what he needed. He’d done this before, another time when Papyrus thought he’d been napping, and put together more of what had happened to them here. Days of tests, procedures he'd never understand, harsh words that left him aching even now, years later, after he'd failed to meet some expectation. It all would be worth it if only he could remember the right thing.

He mostly seemed to remember the wrong things. He shut his eyes against the apparatus that had once drilled into his magic and stretched it so thin he thought he’d shatter right then and there; his fingertips itched at the memory of claws and he rubbed them in his palms, grounding himself on his blunt digits. He’d once been so comfortable in that other form, once believed that man and his claims he was no more than an animal, and it had taken so much fighting—mainly on Papyrus’ part—to help him reclaim everything he could be. And after everything that had happened, somehow a dead world and its ghosts were threatening to unravel all they'd done to bury it.

Sans flicked his wrist, and the apparatus shattered under artificial gravity. He wondered why he hadn’t done that before—maybe some lingering fear of retribution. He left the splintered metal and plastic behind, idly considering what else of this hateful place he could smash. Turning the corner, he came to a vaulted room lined with large cisterns that had been the holding tanks for living weapons as they grew. Only two had ever released successful constructs—before that, who knew what had met its end before it lived.

_“YOU’LL NOTE THE SUBJECT APPEARS TO BE WELL-BUILT, WITH A STURDY AND ELABORATE BONE STRUCTURE,” the man said, gesturing at him, “BUT UNFORTUNATELY, LOOKS ARE DECEIVING. AS YOU CAN SEE, ALL BASE STATS ARE SEVERELY STUNTED_ _._ _SPECIAL CARE MUST BE TAKEN IN ALL CASES OF HANDLING AND TESTING TO MITIGATE RISK OF FRACTURE AND METAPHYSICAL FAILURE. RESEARCH WITH THIS SUBJECT WILL BE OVERSEEN BY MYSELF AT ALL TIMES_ _._ _VIOLATORS_ _..._ _CAN CONSIDER THEIR CAREER TERMINATED. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?”_

Sans grimaced at the unbidden memory, the thought of being seen as an object leaving a slimy feeling in its wake. Even when he’d worn that form, he’d been more than that, he’d been a person in his own right. That man had thought because he’d made them it gave him the right to control them, to coax and prod them in equal turns until they became what he wanted them to be. He’d nearly won, but Papyrus—oh Papyrus, the best thing this place had ever produced, undeserving of all it had done to him—had seen through his manipulation and come through. And now he needed someone to come through for him.

Sans left the tank room behind, resisting an urge to tear it all down with blue magic. He needed to poke a little further, push a little deeper. He'd make this place give up its secrets, but he could feel his patience wearing thin. He was running out of ideas, too. Maybe if he shifted, he could work out what to do from there? No, that would be—

_“NO. IF YOU WANT TO TEST WITH YOUR… BROTHER TOMORROW, YOU WILL CHANGE BACK THIS INSTANT. SHIFT_ NOW _.”_

Something in Sans’ soul wrenched free, and he staggered, doubled over, clutching at face and chest. If he’d been well-rested, if he’d been his usual laid-back self, maybe he could have resisted the way he had a month before. But worked up by both past and present, he was too out of sorts to quell the power tearing through him; he only had the presence of mind to shortcut home as his body warped and became what he’d tried so hard to fight.

It was the buildup to the final romantic scene in Metatons's latest soap opera when Papyrus’ viewing was interrupted by a rounded form appearing in front of the TV and landing on the floor with a thud.

“Sans!” he barked, trying to stay focused on the show, “you’ve got to stop using shortcuts in your sleep! One of these days you’re going to—Sans?”

Papyrus stared at his brother’s prone form. He didn’t like how still he was. And he especially didn’t like how he was no longer round and friendly, but round and spiky.

The romance was forgotten as Papyrus leapt from the couch to shake his brother’s shoulders, words catching in his throat. Not Sans too, not again, surely this was a bad dream only it was Sans who wasn’t waking up. He whimpered, and looped an arm under him to drag him to the couch and curl around him. How often had he done this when they’d shared only a bare cell, how many times had he feared that last round of tests had finally done his brother in? How long would their past hold them captive?

Sans awoke with a start the next day, sometime mid-morning. Papyrus watched him rise blearily and stumble over unfamiliar feet onto the carpet; his eyes came to rest on the hands he’d caught himself with, and he slumped to the floor completely. After a silence that stretched on for minutes, he spoke.

“welp. sorry bro. i messed up. guess that’s the last time i try hard on anything ever...”

“Oh Sans, don’t say that!” Papyrus cried, getting up himself to roll his brother over. “Come on, now it’s even more important we work to solve this most elusive of riddles! As outlandish as it may seem, maybe you’ll have even more success than me! Come on, it's already late in the day--let’s have breakfast and then we’ll get to work.”

Sans only groaned. “i want grillby’s… but i can’t go to grillby’s like this… i’ll never have grillby’s again…”

“Sans! Cease your dramatics!” Papyrus demanded. “We have toast, which is perfectly good breakfast fare and certainly better than some grease-drenched horror! I’ll even make it for you since you probably have to learn how to use deadly claws again.”

Sans moaned from his place on the floor, and Papyrus left him to get started. As he waited for the toaster to warm up, he grabbed his phone and delicately entered Undyne’s number. He was getting much better at using his own deadly claws for fine motor skills again--it was one thing he was proud of in all this mess. After a few rings, Undyne picked up.

“Hey Papyrus! How’s it going?” she asked cheerfully, and he hesitated on what to say.

“Greetings, Undyne! Everything is going well! But I called to let you know that Sans won’t be able to work today. He’s, sick,” he replied, wondering if it was really a lie as his brother continued to rest limply on the floor in the next room.

“I take it you guys still haven’t made any progress, huh?” Undyne asked sadly, and he sighed.

“None. We’ve almost made backwards progress, really.”

“Ah geez, well, I know you won’t but don’t give up! And kick your brother’s butt into gear too, I’ve seen what happens when you let him slack off and it’s not pretty. Hey, I KNOW! I’ll stop by later tonight, how about that?”

Papyrus’ mind raced; it’d be no good if Undyne found out Sans had changed too. “Oh! Well! That would be okay! But my brother will probably be asleep and totally unavailable for interaction.”

“Nope! He’s not getting out of socializing THAT easily!” Undyne quipped brightly. “I’ll see you punks tonight!”

She hung up, and Papyrus was left staring blankly at his phone. Once Undyne had decided on something it was very hard to talk her out of it. He had to think fast or they’d get the chewing out of their lives and more questions than either of them wanted to answer. It was better the world didn’t know about their abilities and the man who thought he’d play god.

The toaster popped, and in an instant it was pierced by a bone. Sparks showered from the ruined appliance, and Papyrus slowly sat, staring at what he'd done. All this tension was getting to him, and he sighed. He stood, shaking his head. He could only feel frustrated with himself as he salvaged what he could of breakfast from the wreckage. He was better than this! He had the best control out of anyone Undyne knew, and he knew she was telling the truth—not a half-truth or white lie some people felt they needed to tell him to soften a world he’d already seen the sharp edges of. Undyne was guilty of that, and even Sans was, but he forgave them. They were trying to keep him safe and happy, and he appreciated that much, but he wasn't a child and it had worn on him for years.

At least Sans was doing it less now, after they'd spent the last month admitting what had happened to them back in the lab. Papyrus was certain, though, there were still things he was hiding from him. The fact he’d either transformed in his sleep, or not been sleeping and doing something he shouldn’t while pretending to sleep was proof enough of that. Huffing another short sigh, Papyrus glanced out to the living room, saw his brother was still on the floor, and put the two ragged slices of toast on a pair of plates and brought them out wearing his best smile.

“Well, we’ll need a new toaster but I’ve managed to prepare a simple one-course meal to tide us over until lunch. Up and at ‘em, brother!”

Another groan, but at least Sans slowly propped himself up. “hey, it’s not burnt. see bro, you’re improving all the time.”

“Indeed! I’ll be renowned cook and Royal Guardsman very soon!”

The rest of their meal was quiet—mostly on account of it being so short—and after brushing crumbs from his mandible Papyrus stretched and stood at his full height. “Alright, brother! We have until evening to finally make a breakthrough and pretend none of this ever happened! So! Get those mental bones shakin’!”

“… just don’t see what we could do differently. we’ve thought of everything,” Sans mumbled, sinking back to the floor. “i oughta just accept my fate.”

“No, I won’t let you,” Papyrus refuted, picking him up by his ragged hoodie with one hand. “You were right, earlier. It’s not fair for us to still be at the mercy of our past in this way. I’m even thinking, that, maybe it was bad we stopped being all of what we are… because we should be proud! No other monster can do what we do, and we are monsters! Not weapons like he wanted us to be—never like he wanted us to be. We should take back this part of us, because it never wasn’t a part of us.

“We’re going to change back, but, maybe it’s not a thing that can be forced. Not anymore. We’ve… accepted there’s a lot we can’t change, haven’t we? So, perhaps, this is. One more thing. We can accept…? We'll keep working! But! Not be so hard on ourselves if we don't get it right away.”

Sans blinked slowly at him. “bro… you’re so cool. if anyone can own this, it’s you. i just… yeah, i like bein’ that other shape, a lot more than i like being this one, but… i dunno. i think deep down i know… this was what i was always supposed to be. so... i'm accepting that.”

Papyrus gave him a very long, sad look. Slowly, he turned, and walked to lay Sans on the couch before joining him, and Sans eyed him warily the whole time. Judging by the look on his face, Sans regretted saying what he had.

“Sans,” Papyrus began, “I know he always wanted you to only be this way, and just be an animal. He never let you change, don’t think I didn’t notice! I think, in your rounder, friendlier form, it reminded him… that you were so weak? And you know how he hated, er, failure… His! His failure. He made us, so anything we’re bad at is his fault! Nyeh!”

Sans huffed a short laugh.

“In any case! You are just as entitled to owning all of who you are as I am! You are just as smart, and kind, and friendly and everything else in this form as you are in the other, even if it is easier to be all of that in the one you're not in now. And no matter what, just know that I love you, and nothing could ever change that!”

“… of course bro. right back at ya.”

But Papyrus could tell Sans didn’t really believe him. Or, it wasn’t that he didn’t believe him—it was more that he didn’t believe in himself, and that had been the hardest thing to work through as they’d put their lives together. Sans had never really done anything wrong, but he’d often done things in ways the man hadn’t liked—they both had, really, but somehow Sans always got the worst of it. He was too clever, too eager to take shortcuts and do things his own way. It wasn’t fair then, and it wasn’t fair now. All the more reason to work extra hard on mastering the quirks of their beastly forms all over again.

"Well, you think about it for a while, and I'll keep trying my way!" Papyrus conceded, leaving his brother to sit in the middle of the living room. They had to keep trying...!

He went through every method he’d thought of again, calling on his reserves of magic, remembering how it felt to walk on two legs and not have claws or a tail, to no avail. He even meditated for a while, and that was hard to do when he always had so much to think about. Sans had fallen asleep on the couch—which wasn’t so surprising as it was annoying. He'd told him to think of a solution--he’d never change back if he just slept all the time! Papyrus shook his head with a huff, and reached out to jostle him awake.

Fangs snapped inches from Papyrus’ forearm, and he leapt back with a yelp. Sans’ eyes focused, and widened as he realized what he’d done. Wordlessly, he began trembling, and buried his face in the couch cushions; Papyrus bounded back to his side and gently patted his shoulder.

“Brother, it’s okay, I startled you. I know you don’t want to hurt me,” he comforted, trying to nuzzle the face still wedged as deeply into the old cushions as it would go.

“i—i thought you were him, i wanted to—i wanted to snap your arm,” Sans admitted in a quiet, panicked rush. “i’m sorry papyrus, i’m sorry. you were right, i shoulda just napped, i shoulda stayed here and just been my lazy old self, instead i’m this and i’ll never not be this again. i just… i’m just gonna give up now, get it over with…”

“No Sans, you can’t! Yes, you should have stayed here, but we’ll get you turned back! We’ll both turn back, and be who we want to be again, just like I told you! I know we can! I believe in us!” Papyrus assured him, trying not to sound desperate. “Truly, it’s okay brother. Come out of there, you’ll never get who knows what out of your sutures.”

But Sans only groaned softly. With a worried huff, Papyrus grasped his brother’s skull and pulled it free. Sans offered no resistance as he was curled up and encircled by a blanket, and then his brother’s bony form; Papyrus knew he should have been continuing his work, but if he was honest he couldn't think about it at all. Sans was too close to letting himself go.

“Alright Sans, we’re going to rest,” he spoke as he folded his forelimbs under his chest. “But it can’t be for long! Undyne’s coming over and we have to be ready.”

There was no reply. Papyrus laid his head down next to his brother’s, tried not to think about how miserable he looked, and found himself drifting off after a while. Maybe some rest really was in order. He curled a bit tighter around his brother, and let his eyes close.

They snapped open when heavy knocking sounded on the door. Oh no.

“Hey Papyrus, open up! It’s hang-out time!” Undyne called, sounding cheerful. Papyrus leapt from the couch, which startled Sans awake. He blinked sleepily, then snapped into alertness when he realized what was going on. And in a blink, he was gone.

Papyrus groaned. He hoped Sans hadn’t gone too far, but at least it solved the problem of Undyne trying to interact with him—for once he was grateful for Sans’ avoidant tendencies. Mustering his usual high spirits, he answered the door.

“Hello Undyne! Welcome to the humble abode of the humbler Papyrus! The greatest skeleton you will ever meet!”

Undyne laughed. “Hey Papyrus, it’s good to see you. Still stuck as a horse lizard thing, I see.”

“Yes,” Papyrus huffed, “the tragedy of our time. I’m close to a breakthrough though, I can feel it!”

“I know you can do it!” the captain beamed with all her fangs. “Where’s Sans? I don’t care if he’s sick, he’s not getting out of at least a little noogie from me! Oh, but I also brought soup, I thought it might help him feel better.”

“How incredibly thoughtful of you!” Papyrus uttered, taking the small container Undyne handed over. “As it happens, he’s just stepped out for some fresh air.”

“You told him I was coming, right?” Undyne said with a frown, and he nodded.

“Of course I did! But you know Sans does as he pleases.”

“Yeah,” Undyne griped. “Well, hopefully he’s back soon. We're gonna have fun, but I wanted talk to both of you for a moment.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I’ve been hearing some things from the other guards. I… guess we could talk about it now, but I don’t want you to worry and it mostly concerns him.”

“Oh no, go on! I worry anyway, it’s no big deal!” Papyrus assured her cheerfully, and she gave a bittersweet smile.

“Okay, okay… Well, I guess Sans has been kinda… irritable, lately. Dogaressa told me the other day. She said he hasn’t been joking around, or going to Grillby’s as much—which, normally I’d say is a good thing, but knowing your brother I know that means something’s up. I guess he snapped at Jerry, which, if it was anyone else it'd be totally understandable, but Sans never snaps at anyone.”

“He’s… stressed,” Papyrus admitted. “He doesn’t like that I’m stuck like this.”

“Hmm... I guess I can see that, but he’s normally so… unflappable,” Undyne said. “If this is just something you can do, why’s he so worked up that you’re stuck? Unless he’s actually an even crappier brother than I thought and thinks he can decide what you should be like.”

“No! It’s nothing like that!” Papyrus refuted, internally horrified at the thought of Sans being so controlling. It’d be too much like _him_. “He hates that I’m stuck, not that other preposterous thing you said.”

“Psh, okay, I get it,” Undyne laughed. “Still. It’s putting him in a pretty bad mood and it’s got people worried… and maybe it’s why he got sick, y’know? He threw himself out of whack with all this…”

“Yeah, it’s really unhealthy…” Papyrus agreed, looking away. “I’ll talk to him when he gets back. A grumpy Sans is hardly a Sans at all! Now! What did you want to do on our hangout?”

They ended up watching one of Mettaton’s new cooking shows where he competed against and judged himself with various dishes made under both time and ingredient limits. The clips were cut so it really looked like there were three of him in the kitchen at a time, and he played up the tension when he judged himself harshly on a failed dish. Of course, even the failures were absolutely perfect—he just liked the drama of elimination. It was good, bad TV, and for a little while Papyrus could forget his predicament. After a few hours and an attempt at making their own versions of some of the dishes they’d seen, it was time for Undyne to head home, and Papyrus was left with a quiet house once more.

“Alright Sans, it’s safe to come out now!” he called, on the chance Sans had merely taken a shortcut up to his room. There was no reply. Papyrus leapt up the stairs to poke his head into his brother’s room and found nothing out of the ordinary—but it was empty. Sans wasn’t home.

Papyrus returned to the living room and sat on the floor, tail flicking idly as he wondered what to do while he waited. Sans was fine--he’d be back eventually. He wouldn’t leave like he’d so foolishly run away--Sans liked the comforts of home too much. Even if he relapsed and sank into the cloying lull of instinct and everything he’d been trained to be...

He'd still know where home was and couldn't be gone for long.

... Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so Sans finally joins in on the gaster blaster shenanigans... though, these are less fun than usual :"D
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!


	5. Antagonized

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flowey's run out of things to do.
> 
> At least, he thinks he has.

Flowey flinched at heavy crashing further up the channel; it sounded like something big had fallen in the trash heaps. Big things didn’t come through often, so as bored as he was he figured he may as well check it out. It'd be wild if it were a human or something besides garbage, but he wasn't going to get his hopes up. He ducked into the murky water and burrowed through the mud below to pop up between the piles of garbage, the best vantage point for spotting anything new. Didn’t look like much… wait, that one looked lopsided. He popped up closer to it, peered around the refuse, then checked the other side and gasped.

A skeleton lay half-buried in the pile.

It wasn’t just any old skeleton—or any new skeleton, for that matter. Inching around, Flowey could make out the shape of the skull and knew he’d seen it before. Only, it hadn’t been attached to a body, or appeared outside of battle. All of this was _new_.

“Um, howdy! You alright there, friend?” he called, wondering what kind of response he might get. As it turned out, he got none. The creature just laid there, eye sockets closed. Flowey frowned, and extended a vine to poke its scapula. “Hello? What are you, dead?”

Fangs sheared through his vine in a blur, and he grunted at the pain. The creature’s jaws snapped open and Flowey braced himself for the next strike, but his nerves faded to curiosity as the beast seemed frozen, jaws still open and eyes wide but dark. Slowly, it reached up with heavy claws to tug at its own teeth, then shut its mouth and curled a hand tight around its snout as if to hold its jaws shut. A hushed, weary whine escaped from it, and Flowey thought the tone was familiar.

“Uh, hey there!” he tried again, and the creature slowly turned to face him. “Sorry to wake you, but you didn’t look so good. Are you okay?”

The creature seemed to think for a bit, and he wondered if it understood him until it bunched its shoulders up into a shrug. Of course it would, if it was one of _his_.

“Fair enough. I probably wouldn’t be doing too good if I’d just fallen into a pile of garbage too,” Flowey joked. “Wait here, I’ll get'cha something to eat.”

It wasn’t far to the cooler of astronaut food someone had left down here ages ago, and he picked a couple packets up before heading back to his interesting new pal. He’d never thought he’d be making friends with one of these, but maybe it’d tell him how to beat that smiley trashbag. He pushed his way back up through the mud, and presented the snacks to the creature.

“Okay! Here you go, just take the wrapper off and—yeah, pretty good right? If you’re into weird, dried-out food, anyway. How ya feelin’ now, buddy?”

The creature made a humming sound. It was weird how much it sounded like him, and the glowing cyan irises that now filled its sockets were also familiar, but Flowey tried to ignore that. Probably just side effects of who it belonged to.

“So what are you doing all the way out here? I bet Sans is looking for you, he doesn’t let you guys out like, ever. Say! My name’s Flowey by the way, Flowey the flower. What’s yours? Do you even have one?”

The creature narrowed its eyes, then extended its left paw. Flowey gave it his vine, his own eyes narrowed as they shook, and the thing he knew as a gaster blaster cleared its nonexistent throat.

“heya. i’m sans.”

Flowey felt his brain break. “… _What_.”

“you seem surprised. have we met before?” the creature—Sans—observed, slowly sitting back on his haunches.

“Gh—no,” Flowey replied shortly, trying to recover his composure. “Not properly! I-I mean, I’ve heard of you, so, I know _of_ you.”

“of course you have, everyone knows me,” Sans agreed. He leaned closer, grin seeming to turn sharp despite the fact it was already made of jagged fangs. “now, the real question is… who did you think i was before i introduced myself?”

Flowey grimaced--he’d slipped up.

“listen pal... i don't wanna jump to any conclusions, but it seemed like you recognized me. and if that's true… i think we’ve met before, and it was NOT under good circumstances.”

He’d _really_ slipped up. Sans was standing now, looming over him ominously. No, no—he wasn’t ready to end this run yet, not when it had finally gotten so interesting! Sans was too perceptive for his own good.

Sans grunted as vines wrapped around his limbs, lashing him to the heap of garbage before he could skip away. More vines whipped out and wound around his jaws—Flowey was taking no chances, not when he had something so new to toy with. Sans was supposed to be a round, talkative, terrifying jokester, not a weird animal. But here he was, covered in heavy spines and on all fours with a long tail. Flowey wasn’t sure what he’d do with him, but he could figure that out later. Right now, he wanted to take his prize somewhere no one would find it.

Sans gave a bit of token resistance, but eventually went limp and let Flowey drag him along through shadowy caverns. There was much of Waterfall still uninhabited—places where it was too dark, too damp, too cramped—corners where perhaps no one had set foot for centuries. Flowey worked his way along until he found a small cavern that seemed perfect—he couldn’t even hear the distant dull roar of rushing water, and the only light came from a few glimmering crystals embedded in the stony walls.

“Okay smiley trashbag, wakey wakey!” Flowey sang harshly as he deposited his captive. “We’re alone. Tell me what the hell you are.”

Sans lifted an eyelid to gaze at him. “why?”

“I’m the one asking questions here! Besides… I’ll kill you if you don’t! Hee hee!”

“hm. sure you will.”

"Yeah! It won't be hard!”

“nope.”

“So, you don’t care if you die… but maybe… your brother!” Flowey threatened with a wicked grin, only to be met with the same nonchalance.

“ok.”

Flowey glared at him. “What, you really don’t care about what happens to your beloved, precious Papyrus?”

Sans shrugged. “eh. if you’re what i think you are… then it doesn’t really matter what you do, does it?”

Flowey curled his lip. “I’ll make you watch as I dust him bone by bone! You’ll be haunted by his screams forever!”

“that’s… pretty messed up, my dude. you need to talk?”

“Don’t turn this around on me!” Flowey shrieked. “I’ll destroy EVERYONE and make you watch!”

“hm… well, chances are you’ve already done that at least once. after all, you know what i look like,” Sans replied. “but it doesn’t matter what either of us do. i accepted that a long time ago.”

“And that’s why you’re a lazy slob who never does anything,” Flowey stated with contempt.

Sans shrugged. “yup.”

“Ugh, whatever. It's way more interesting to keep you alive now anyway,” Flowey grumbled. “You’re even more of a freak than before. I wonder… does your brother know you’re like this? I wonder what he’d think if he saw you.”

“wouldn’t care.”

“…Wait, are you saying you wouldn’t care, or that he wouldn’t care?” Flowey pressed, and Sans shrugged yet again. He was so frustrating sometimes, and Flowey scowled. “Ugh. I know what I’ll do. As much as I’d love to finally kill you, I think I’ll keep you alive… as my pet. You’ve humiliated me too many times, and now I’m going to repay the favor!”

Flowey laughed until he noticed Sans was falling asleep.

“Hey! Wake up! You really don’t care what I’m going to do to you?!” He shook the vines restraining his prize, jostling him awake.

“hmm? eh… not really. can’t be worse than what i’ve already been through, so it doesn’t really matter,” Sans murmured in reply, snuggling against the rough stone floor despite how he was bound.

“W-well…” Flowey stumbled, “maybe… you don’t care now! But let’s see how you feel in a month! Maybe even longer! Hee hee hee!”

Sans shrugged again. “in that case, i’m going to sleep. wake me in a month, ok pal?”

Flowey growled and tightened his vines until Sans was pressed to the floor, and leaned in to leer at him. “You listen here, trashbag. By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be—”

Bones stabbed up from the floor inches from his face, and he leapt back with a yelp.

“i’ll be what, kid? broken? dusted? flower’s best friend?” Sans said, a deadly chill in his voice as he fixed Flowey with one piercing eye. “fine. you have fun trying. but don't think this is gonna be easy. i'm not some helpless puppy you picked up off the street. i'm not like ANYTHING you've seen before."

Flowey felt a shiver run through him as he stared into Sans’ dark sockets, but he pulled a smirk. “Hah! What do you think I am, an idiot? 'Cause I'm not.”

Sans only chuckled dryly. “you keep telling yourself that. i’m going to sleep.”

Flowey growled, but held back. He needed to strategize. Sans wasn’t someone he could just threaten into submission, and knowing his stats, he couldn’t torture him either if he wanted him alive. He’d have to come up with some other way to get to Sans--but for now it might be fun just watching what his absence would do to his friends. Another smirk curled at the corners of his mouth, and he ducked below-ground to head for Snowdin, making sure to keep his prize tied up tight. He knew what the world looked like with everyone but Sans gone--it was time to see the opposite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No angsty story is complete without Flowey showing up to make it worse, right? Of course, Sans won't make it easy for him--so the chapter title applies to them both =u=
> 
> Anyway, as always, thank you for reading, and if I need to add any tags, let me know! ^^


	6. Lapse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus is left to his own devices...

Papyrus rubbed at bleary eyes. Normally he was perfectly fine staying up all night, but with things being so stressful and hectic lately, he’d found himself sleeping more despite the threat of nightmares and his natural insomnia. He'd tried to stay up and keep watch, just in case.

But Sans had never come home last night. Papyrus had checked, in case he'd slipped past him while he napped, but the rooms were empty as ever. He found himself pacing the floor anxiously, at a loss for what else to do and his mind buzzing. He’d have to call Undyne and say he was out sick again… He hated lying like this, but he hated the thought of telling the truth more. He'd have to keep up the act. Well, it wasn't like he'd never done that before.

“Hello, Undyne, it is me, Papyrus,” he said into the receiver when it was time, sounding appropriately regretful. “Sans is still sick. I am still… you know. So. Neither of us can work. Again. I am very sorry.”

“Papyrus, it’s okay,” Undyne replied, sounding more sympathetic than she had a right to. “I know you guys are having a hard time. Just take care of yourselves and I’ll worry about the rest, got it?”

“Very well! Thank you,” he replied, and hung up, grateful for her patience. He laughed to himself--patience was not a quality he typically associated with Undyne. He'd have to make it all up to her somehow--he'd already slacked off far too much. But what could he do from his position? If only Sans had bothered to get his own cell phone...

Papyrus sighed. Maybe Sans had just fallen asleep somewhere strange—he did that sometimes. But what if someone found him? What if he reacted badly again and hurt them? He wouldn’t mean it of course, but who would know that? What if they were both found out and never treated the same again…?

Papyrus turned back to pacing the floor, a dozen thoughts whirling through his head at any given moment. Lunchtime came and went, and before long it was evening. But there was still nothing from Sans, and he wondered if this was how Sans had felt when he’d run away. His pacing trailed to a halt. How could he have done this to his own brother?

Tears, unbidden and stinging, sprung to the skeleton’s sockets and rolled down his cheeks. He sank to the floor with a hushed sob, shuddering. He missed Sans, had missed him so much, and then they'd gone and fought over what were silly, small things really! And now Sans had run away--he’d transformed himself after doing goodness knew what, blamed himself for acting on instinct, and almost given up on himself completely. He was in no state to be alone.

No, no, he was fine, Papyrus assured himself. He couldn't give up hope! Sans had been in a bad way, but he’d been bad before and always managed to pull out of it. He wouldn’t do anything foolish, surely--he had to believe in him, trust that he'd come back when he was ready. Papyrus dried his tears, took a few deep breaths, and headed up to his room to browse the Undernet for a while. At least he could see what everyone else was up to.

And he wouldn’t sleep, just in case Sans made it home tonight. Or the next night. Or the one after that. Whenever he came back, he'd be ready.

But it wasn’t a week before he got stir-crazy. The house wasn’t exactly small, but he was starting to feel like its walls were pressing in on him and there was no real room to stretch his legs. Sans wasn't here to take them out somewhere he could run freely. There were only so many times he could vacuum or scrub everything before cleaning lost its appeal too. He’d turned to Sans’ quantum physics books just for something new to read after he’d exhausted his own collection... but the subject made his brain feel fuzzy and his heart ache. Undyne was getting worried too, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could say his brother was sick before she stormed over again to check on them. But he was too afraid of his past getting out to risk leaving the house himself. He’d wait—he was the Great Papyrus! This was nothing he couldn’t handle.

Nothing he couldn't...

Nothing he...

He paced the house, falling into a rhythmic path; doorway, living room, upstairs, leap down to the doorway and do it all again. It was moving, and moving felt good, so he kept doing it, over and over until he got tired. His claw caught in the carpet and he hissed at it before tugging free, and discovered it could be torn. Oh, fun! He dug his claws in and pulled with legs and back, ripping up a long strip of the stuff--only to be instantly filled with regret. No! This was making a mess! He didn't make messes, that was the brother he was waiting for, he knew better! He gave a sad trill and tried to put the carpet back, but it was too late. Though tearing it had been fun, he shouldn't do that again. That was bad. He went back to pacing.

Papyrus found a shredded cushion in his jaws. He wasn't even sure what had come over him--it was just soft, and looked nice to bite and--now there were bits of stuffing all over the floor. He... he hadn't meant to destroy it. He dropped the mangled cover and began sweeping up the scattered fluff, then tried to stuff it back into the cushion. But it wouldn't stay in, there were far too many holes, and he ended up pushing it into the corner. He'd deal with it later. After his brother came back. He paced for a while, then headed upstairs when he finally felt tired and curled up in his bed.

A loud, weird sound startled him awake. He waited, and it came again--oh yeah, he knew that sound. He got up and found the little black shiny thing that was making the noise and took it into his jaws... wait that wasn't right. It rung again, and the sound vibrating through his teeth startled him into dropping it. But somehow that did the trick.

"Hey, Papyrus? You there?"

Who--oh yeah! What was her name again--Undyne! It was Undyne's voice! She... sounded worried. He needed to make her not worried, he needed to--to think, to talk!

"Hhhrrhhhh--" he rasped, no, that wasn't right! Come on!

"Papyrus?!" Oh great, now she sounded really worried!

He rumbled a growl and coughed to get the right magic going. "HHHEllo, Undyne, there we go! Forgive me!"

"Er, everything alright there?" she asked, sounding a little less worried. "I haven't heard from you in a few days, and then it was like you couldn't talk just now--what's up?"

Papyrus blinked. Had it really been a only few days that he'd...? "It's fine! I just managed to catch the same thing Sans is sick with. We are both absolutely miserable!"

"Aw geez," Undyne replied. "Well, take care of yourselves, and let me know if you need anything--I'm serious. And if you don't, call me when you're feeling better, okay?"

"Of course! Thank you!" he replied, and she hung up.

Papyrus remained staring at the phone for a while. He'd slipped, let himself get away. Without enough to do, it was easy--even now he wanted to go back to pacing, circling the house like a trapped animal. But wasn't that what he was...?

Well, trapped, yes. Animal? Only in the broadest of terms. He wouldn't let this happen again, he was better than that! Darting over to his bookshelf, he pulled out all his books on puzzle design and spent the rest of the day devising new traps. Despite his claws getting in the way or tearing the paper, he drew blueprints and worked out calculations for mechanisms well into the night--anything to keep his mind sharp. A lack of stimulation invited stagnation.

He'd almost lost himself back in the forest too. Only his determination to work out a solution had kept his mind clear enough that when Sans found him, it hadn't taken too long to reawaken his thoughts once more. But with Sans gone, and his sources of entertainment dwindling... He had to be careful. He drew furiously, covering his floor with blueprints and books and ideas, and for a little while, he felt safe.

Papyrus startled out of a nightmare with heat lingering in his jaws and the smell of smoke filling his nose. Panting, he got to his feet, eyes fixed on the scorched carpet and wall before him. Sharp orange caught his eye, and he swatted at the embers still gnawing at the edges of his diagrams. He checked for more hot spots, found none, shook himself out and crept over to crack a window before retreating downstairs and shiver on the couch.

As much as he hated to admit it... maybe this wasn't something he could handle after all.

It had been a long, long time since he'd attacked anything in his sleep. It wasn't even the first time he'd had this sort of dream--thinking that his brother had died somehow was pretty well played out by now. It almost didn't phase him. But it helped that until now, he'd always been able to check on him, see for a fact that Sans was very much alive and his usual obnoxious self.

But Sans was gone, and had been for a while.

Before that, he hadn't been his usual, obnoxious self.

And a dream that he'd lashed out at their creator, and their creator had struck back and--it was just too much for Papyrus. Even for someone as great as him. He couldn't stand to be alone anymore, but there was only one person he could call.

Reluctantly, haltingly, he shambled upstairs to retrieve his phone, and returned as quickly as he could; the blackened carpet still haunted him. He sat on the floor with his hand hovered over the keypad, trembling. He wasn't really going to do this, was he? Admit he couldn't do something on his own, admit he wasn't perfectly okay and no one should worry about him? Reveal he'd been lying to Undyne...?

But he needed help, for getting food if nothing else--

But he couldn't admit what he'd done, or else she'd be furious--

But he wanted to talk to her, to _someone_ so badly--

He backed away from the phone with a whine and paced around it for a while, torn between his desires until nothing made sense anymore. Lost in anxious thought, the sudden sight of the phone on the floor sent him leaping back with a yelp, and he fled to a corner where he could watch it. The phone was scary.

He flinched when it rung, and hissed at the sudden noise and light as he curled tighter into the corner. He wanted to get away from that thing, but couldn't leave. And it was bad that it was ringing too, he was going to be in trouble! But he couldn't do anything--!

He buried his face into the floor and shuddered long after the phone had stopped. And he jumped a good six feet straight up when the front door practically exploded. Back arched against the wall, he stared wide-eyed at Undyne, who seemed just as shocked.

"Papyrus?!"

He rattled.

In an instant, she was hugging him. He was stiff at first, unsure of the sudden contact--but something in his mind seemed to switch off, and he relaxed. He laid his head across her shoulders, after more than a few shuddering definitely-not-sobs, he sat down slowly. Undyne let him go.

"Hey Papyrus, it's okay. Can you tell me what happened?"

He whined nervously. It was now or never.

“G… gone,” he finally managed to croak, then coughed. “Sans is gone, Undyne... He... The day you came to visit, and I said he was sick, he took a shortcut out and I—I haven’t seen him since! He’s gone...”

Undyne studied him wearing a stunned look. “He left you?”

“Y-yes, though, I don’t know that he meant to be gone so long, I—I don’t think so, not after I left him… Unless… unless he’s still mad at me about that! That has to be it, why else would he...? He, he, he hates me for it, I just know it, I’m a terrible brother!” Papyrus cried, curling in on himself.

“Hey!” she barked, pulling his head up to look at her. “Listen up--there's NO WAY that's true. You matter more than anything else in the world to Sans, even I can see that! When you were gone, he got—he got so bad I don’t think he left the couch for a week. If he was sick, maybe it was some kind of fever dream..."

Papyrus shivered. "...Maybe. But he should have been back by now."

"Provided he's still alive..." Undyne uttered, then realized what she'd said and to who she'd said it. "I mean--! Of course he's alive! He's probably just slacking off somewhere!"

Papyrus couldn't help another whine. "But he always comes home... He's never been gone this long..."

Undyne furrowed her brows and drew back as she thought. "Hold on... If he hasn't been here, but I thought he was just sick... Where the he--uh, heck is he? He's just... gone?"

Papyrus rattled harder. Maybe Sans _was_ dead. He couldn't keep his whimpering from rising to a keening howl.

Undyne winced as her friend broke down, and took his trembling wrists into her hands. “Hey, Papyrus! Listen--I wish you would have told me sooner so we could have gone looking for him. Both of you guys… it’s like, you don’t want anyone to worry, but then these problems aren’t things that just go away if you don’t talk about them, and running away won't help either. I was… I’m terrified we’ll lose you just because you never say when anything is wrong.”

Aside from a muted sob, Papyrus was silent.

“So come on! You want to find your brother, right? Good or bad, we need to figure out what happened. We have to go looking for him.”

“I can’t go out. I can’t. I can’t…” Papyrus whimpered, and Undyne sighed.

“Honestly? I don’t think anyone will recognize you. I know I didn’t, back when Sans first brought you back, and I know you pretty dang well—I mean, I didn't until you spoke. So I’ll do the talking, and if anyone asks we can say you’re a trainee from New Home or something, depending on where we’re looking. I just…” Undyne trailed, eye darting as she thought. “Look. I can’t rest until both you skeletons are back on your feet at 100 percent, because anything else has messed with you both something awful and I hate seeing my friends suffer. So come on. Let’s find Sans and give him what-for for making you worry.”

Papyrus studied her, then managed a soft laugh as he rubbed at his eyes. “Not too much of a what-for though."

Undyne laughed, and helped him stand. "I'll give him exactly the right amount of what-for, how about that? First things first though--I'll make us something to eat and then we can come up with a plan."

Considering he couldn't remember what he'd last eaten, Papyrus nodded. "An excellent plan, Captain Undyne! I'm afraid I've let my usual culinary exploits fall to the wayside, so... that would be nice. Thank you."

"Hey, no problem. Like I said, I wanna see you guys back at 100% sooner rather than later. Come on though, I'm not gonna do it for you!"

Papyrus leapt into action, happy to have the company, happy that Undyne wasn't mad at him. He was still worried about his brother, but they were going to do something about that too. In the meantime, an evening with someone as cool as Undyne wasn't a bad way to spend it. He'd slipped a little, but it was nice to have someone help him back up. Maybe together, they could help Sans too--wherever he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the story continues! Poor Papyrus--at least Undyne's there for him... Remember folks, enrichment activities are important for all species =u=;


	7. Slip Through

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No longer so alone, Papyrus is ready to tackle finding his brother--with Undyne's help, he's sure to find something...

“Okay! It should be late enough that most people'll be home for the night, so chances are no one will spot you, much less recognize you. That should take care of your concerns about being seen, right?”

"Good point," Papyrus agreed, taking another spoonful of the hearty soup Undyne had made. It was a little hard to grip his silverware, so eating was slow, but it was nice to have something hot so he wanted to savor it anyway. At least Undyne was way better at making soup than spaghetti. "It does make me a tad less trousled."

Undyne smiled. "Good. Once you're done there we'll get cleaned up and head out, okay?"

The rest of the evening was relatively quiet--the two traded banter while Papyrus finished his dinner, then they worked together to do the dishes and put things away. And then, all too soon--it was time to start their investigation, which meant stepping into a world Papyrus didn't know that he belonged in. He was sure it was just as ready for him as he was for it--which was to say, not at all.

But Undyne beckoned, and Papyrus shook himself out before reluctantly headed for the door. The outside world loomed, and for a moment he hesitated.... No, he needed to leave. Drawing a deep breath, he stepped out for what felt like the first time in ages. It was strange, feeling the cold again and snow crunching under his claws. But... it was so open... so spacious... he _needed_ to run, to express all the energy he'd had to bottle up!

He tore off towards the nearby clearing, delighting in the wind rushing and newfound strength coursing through him as he galloped down the road. This _was_ where he belonged! Out and about, doing, being! Not cooped up at home, that was sure. He barreled into the snow and rolled around, then got back to his feet and shook the snow from his bones. Oh that felt good! He was fully refreshed, like he'd finally shed the gloom that had washed over him in his house.

Undyne was laughing when she caught up with him, happy to see him acting more like his old self. “Feels good to get out, huh? Being a homebody doesn’t suit you. Alright, now, where do you think Sans might have gone?”

Papyrus stroked his chin. “Well, it's difficult to say, but his basic needs are a place to sleep and bad food... but no one’s reported him from Grillby’s, right?”

“No,” Undyne frowned. “You’d think that’s the first thing we’d hear about—it was Grillby himself who asked me to check up on him… so he’s either still going, or Grillby hasn’t gotten nervous yet. Seems like a good place to start either way!”

Papyrus nodded, and together they turned to head for the restaurant. It glowed a welcoming amber in the subterranean night, but Papyrus declined to enter the establishment, both on account of his current state as well as being firmly opposed to grease as a concept. So he sat in the snow opposite the building as Undyne went in, hoping there'd be lead on his brother. Grillby was, despite how Papyrus felt about the quality of his cooking, a good monster who knew his regulars well. And even if Sans was mad and avoiding him, surely he wouldn't avoid his favorite food.

“No one’s seen him,” Undyne relayed when she’d returned, looking downcast. “Grillby says he stopped coming about two and a half weeks ago. He was about to call me again, actually, it’s kinda funny.”

“Two and a half weeks… that’s when you came to visit.”

“Right,” Undyne said with a wincing smile. “So the timeframe matches… and… I guess there’s something else weird. Grillby almost didn’t tell me--he wasn't sure it was relevant. But… apparently he’s had kids come in a couple times now and order a few burgers to go. When they got asked by one of the other customers what they were for, all they said was that it was some flower monster who wanted them.”

Papyrus blinked. A flower.... “Why would a flower monster need someone to buy burgers for them?

“Dunno, but… Grillby said that what struck him as odd… was that it’s Sans’ favorite they keep ordering, and nothing else. They even ask for extra ketchup.”

“Hmm…” Papyrus trailed, not sure what to make of this information. A certain flower had been his friend in timelines past. Maybe he’d decided to become Sans’ friend this time around? He couldn't be sure, and it made him uneasy. He wasn't always his friend.

“Yeah, I dunno either,” Undyne continued, “but everyone asked how you were and what was up, so they miss you a lot. You better figure this thing out soon or you might have a visiting party from the dogs.”

“I… I’m touched,” Papyrus said softly; he hadn’t thought anyone would pay his absence any mind. They were all Sans’ friends, not his…

“Yeah! I told them you were taking a good long vacation since you tend to overwork yourself, and they bought it, but I think everyone’s looking forward to seeing you guys back in action. Anyway! I say we try and find this flower guy and talk to him. Ask him what he’s doing with those burgers.”

“…It is our only lead,” Papyrus agreed, narrowing his eyes. “If he’s hanging out with Sans, then that would certainly explain it.”

“Alright. I’ve always wanted to do a stakeout,” Undyne grinned, flashing her fangs. “Based on what Grillby told me, those kids should show up tomorrow. Let’s wait here all night and make sure we don’t miss ‘em.”

“An excellent strategy! I am with you one zillion percent!”

The two friends hunkered down in the snow just off the road and out of sight. Undyne couldn’t keep from shivering after a few hours in, so Papyrus darted back home to retrieve a blanket for her. It looked a little conspicuous draped over her shoulders, so with her approval he buried her in snow and left only a small space open for her to peer through. Halfway into the morning she was apparently cozy enough to fall asleep, but Papyrus didn’t mind. He could keep watch in the meantime.

It was just after Grillby unlocked his door for the morning that a trio of kids ran up—a pair of bunnies and a little reptilian child. They greeted the fire monster brightly, and he nodded to them before letting them stumble in. Papyrus prodded Undyne in her side, and she yelped—he’d forgotten he had particularly sharp digits now—but it got the message across. She tossed the blanket aside, shedding snow as she stood.

“Okay. You ready to do this?”

“I was born ready!” Papyrus replied, crouching in anticipation.

“Okay! I want you to stay back and track behind us while I get the kids to take me to the flower. I don't want anything to go unnoticed, so you'll keep an eye on the whole thing. Understand?”

“Oh… Yes! What a cunning plan! We will soon learn the truth with you at the helm!”

“Heck yeah! Alright, shh, here they come.”

The kids skipped from Grillby's, each with a small bag in their arms—or, in the little reptilian child’s case, their mouth. Papyrus could smell the grease from here, and regretted having such a powerful sense of smell in this form. At least it would make them easy to follow. He watched them trot down the street towards Waterfall, giggling and chatting to each other as they walked, discussing what they’d do with the extra money they were making. So, someone really was paying them to buy bad decisions…

Undyne waited until they were a bit further down the road to make her move, stepping out from the sidelines to follow them. Papyrus stayed within the trees, swift and silent on his feet as he trailed them, wondering where all this would lead.

“Hey guys!” Undyne called, waving casually to the trio as she caught up with them just outside Waterfall. They turned to face her, and the reptile dropped their bag on account of their jaw falling open.

“Oh my gosh! Yo! It’s Undyne!” the child exclaimed in a stunned whisper. “Act cool, she’s only the most awesome monster in the whole Underground!”

The bunnies exchanged looks, but smiled politely as the captain approached.

“You kids off to have a picnic?” she began, and the little ones milled around a bit before one of the bunnies answered.

“Um, no…”

“Really? Can I ask where you're taking those burgers then?”

The reptilian was quick to answer. “There’s this flower guy who loves ‘em! But his roots keep him from going inside Grillby’s, plus it's too cold for him in Snowdin anyway, so he has to ask us kids to get ‘em for him! We’re helping our fellow monsters, just like you want us to!”

“Good job,” Undyne said proudly. “Hey, I kinda want to meet this guy. Think I could tag along?”

“Um, I guess so?” the other bunny answered, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s nothing real special.”

The kids led the way with Undyne in tow, and Papyrus couldn’t help but feel hopeful. He kept just out of sight as they wound through the dark, damp halls of Waterfall, crossed the bridge, and came to a field of echo flowers. Amid the whispering expanse of eerie blue, there was a bright spot of yellow. It was a flower with face, stretched with a cheery smile.

“Howdy kids!” the flower chirped brightly. “Oh boy, you brought a new friend! Could this be the Undyne you’ve told me so much about?”

“It totally is!” the reptilian answered gleefully, dropping their bag again as they hopped. “She wanted to meet you! You’re sooo lucky!”

“I sure am!” the plant replied, but Papyrus thought there was something just a bit off in his expression. “And hey, looks like you brought everything else too!”

“Here you go, mister Flowey,” one of the bunnies said as the trio handed their bags over. “You must like burgers a whole lot if you eat so many. Doesn’t your momma tell you you’ll get sick if you eat too much of them?”

“Well, you wanna know something real sad? Flowers don’t exactly have moms,” Flowey replied, and the children gasped sadly.

“Yo, you never had a mom?!”

“That is so sad…”

“Miss Undyne, did you know he didn’t have a momma?!”

Undyne sighed. “Not everyone’s that lucky. You guys run home and hug your moms extra hard, okay?”

“Okay!” the trio chorused.

“Hey, but enough of that for now!” Flowey spoke again. “You guys have been a big help! Here’s your tip, hee hee!”

He tossed each of the kids a little sack of gold using a thin vine, and the three ran off, giggling and waving. Undyne stayed behind, as did Flowey. The two eyed one another for a moment, until Undyne broke the quiet.

“Listen, I won’t keep you long, but I came with those kids because I need to ask you something. I need to know if you’ve seen or know the whereabouts of a man named Sans. He’s a skeleton monster about yea tall, and tends to wear a blue jacket and black shorts. Know him?”

“Hmm…” Flowey tapped a vine to his chin. “Doesn’t sound familiar. Can I ask why you’re looking for him? Did he do something bad?”

“No. He went missing about two weeks ago, and we were given the impression you might know something,” Undyne replied, folding her arms.

“Who told you that? I’m just a flower, I don’t get out much,” Flowey replied, looking offended.

“Well… from what we’ve heard, that’s when you started asking those kids to get burgers for you, and they happen to be Sans’ favorite.”

“...That’s your lead? Really?” Flowey scoffed as he reached into the closest bag to unwrap a burger and bit into it. “Listen. I’m stuck out here in Waterfall. It took me forever to come across anything like Grillby’s cooking, and now, I can’t get enough of it. Can you really blame me for asking my fellow monsters to help a guy out? Is that so wrong?”

“Well, no,” Undyne huffed. “But—”

“Listen, I’m sorry to hear about this Sans guy, and I hope you find him. But I just really like these burgers. I had no idea he liked them too—hey, I can’t blame him, hee hee! I’ll let you know if I see anything, but this is the first I’ve even heard of him,” Flowey said, tilting his head in a shrug before taking another bite. Undyne pursed her lips.

“Well, thanks, I guess. Sorry to bother you. Let the Guard know if you do find anything.”

She marched away with brows furrowed, and Papyrus lingered to watch Flowey just a bit longer. Flowey waited until she was definitely out of the room to spit his mouthful of food out, his lip curled as he glared in her direction. Then he gathered up the bags with his vines and disappeared into the earth.

Papyrus went from feeling disappointed to terrified.

His magic pulsing through him in a panicked rush, he left his spot in the shadows to investigate where Flowey had vanished. He found a small mound of upturned soil and no other physical signs, but there was a smell. Not the smell of fresh grease from Grillby’s, nor the scent of clammy mud and grass, though all were present. No, this was a smell that made his magic coil so tensely in his chest he thought it might burst, a smell that made him shiver from skull to tailtip at its presence.

It was the faint smell of earthy bone and stale ketchup.

Flowey was a liar.

Flowey was, very often, not a good person and wouldn’t even try sometimes. Papyrus had hoped that with the dearth of resets lately he might have given up on playing with everyone’s lives, but it seemed this was not the case. He still hoped, naturally, that one day Flowey would make the right choice, but with him acting the way he had, and Sans being how he was now…

Papyrus groaned. Maybe Sans was happy. He was alive, at least, and even if Flowey had him trapped somewhere, somehow, he was getting out of work, probably napping a lot and being brought his favorite food. He’d said himself that was all Sans really needed… Maybe Sans just didn’t want to come home after all. He hoped it was like that.

“Papyrus…?” Undyne’s voice echoed from down the corridor, and he perked up. He glanced back down at the little clump of dirt where Flowey had been, and pushed his heartbreak aside. If Sans was happy somewhere, then so was he. He heaved a sigh, and trotted to catch up with his captain.

"Did you see something?" Undyne asked when he caught up, and he glanced around before answering in a low voice.

"No, not a thing! How frustrating," he huffed. "I suppose there's nothing for it but to keep waiting. However long that is..."

Undyne considered his words, then turned to him with a grin. "Hey! Rather than stay cooped up in your house again, how about you come over to mine? You know, for a sleepover."

Papyrus blinked. "Really?"

"Sure! I also know a couple spots where NO ONE ever comes, so we can hang out there and you don't have to worry about being seen. That'd be pretty nice, right?"

Papyrus was taken aback. "Well, certainly, b-but--are you sure that's proper? F-for you? There's etiquette and such, I read it in the Royal Guard handbook handbook."

"Psh, I don't care about what's proper! All that etiquette stuff is a TOTAL DRAG! AND! I'M THE CAPTAIN! I DECIDE WHAT RULES TO ENFORCE! And I say SCREW 'EM! I care about my friend, who's been stuck alone in his house for way too long. It'll be fun!"

Papyrus hemmed and hawed. Was it really okay...? Undyne thought so, and after everything today he wasn't sure he could take being alone another night. She _had_ called him her friend... he almost couldn't believe it... But he knew he shouldn't stay by himself again. "Um... well... alright. It does sound nice."

"HECK yeah it does!" Undyne beamed, punching him in the shoulder playfully. "Now come on, I dunno about you but we've been out long enough. Let's head back to my place."

Papyrus let her lead the way along the winding corridors and yawning chasms of Waterfall until they reached the quiet corner where Undyne's house sat. He followed her in and immediately slipped on the ceramic tile floor, his legs sliding out from under him with a scrape. He groaned, and Undyne stifled a laugh as she helped him stand.

"I guess there is one problem with you staying here," she teased as they hobbled over to the table together. "Good thing it's not a big one!"

"Just embarrassing," Papyrus griped as he sat, carefully balancing with all four feet crammed on the chair. He drummed his claws as Undyne puttered around the kitchen, making what turned out to be tea.

"Figured something warm would be nice," she said, setting a cup before him as she joined him, and for a little while they sat quietly as it cooled. But Undyne always got contemplative when she made tea, and it wasn't long before she spoke. "You know... it's weird, but... I've gotten pretty used to you being like this. It's actually really cool."

"You mean it?" Papyrus asked, and she nodded.

"Yeah! I don't think any other monster can transform like you do, and into this awesome skeleton... beast thing? If I were a human, I'd surrender after just looking at you!"

Papyrus fidgeted. "Well, I suppose that's good..."

He didn't really want to be intimidating. That'd been what _he_ wanted. A reason why they hadn't been allowed to change.

Apparently his discomfort was obvious, because Undyne's mood shifted. "But... being scary... that's not your style, huh? You really don't want to look like this. And it's been getting to you, and now Sans too... Maybe I'm way off, but I get the feeling... this isn't really something you want, and it's actually kind of serious."

"It's nothing to be worried about!" Papyrus uttered quickly. "I'm fine! I just miss my fashions, and my dashing good looks, and holding things like a person who doesn't have sharp claws! And fitting in my bed without having to fold myself up, and going grocery shopping, and not being trapped in my own home, and--and--"

"Hey, easy there," Undyne soothed, extending a hand across the table. "I know it's been rough on you, and Sans being gone hasn't helped. But we'll find him, and you'll get through this. Uh... hey! We should go shopping together sometime! There's whole sections for monsters with your body type, you've got all kinds of options open now. That sounds fun, right?"

Papyrus managed a laugh. "I suppose. I... I guess I ought to consider the fact this is my life now..."

He didn't want to give up. He wasn't going to! He just... had to accept that for the foreseeable future, this was how things would be. He'd said as much to Sans, hadn't he? That they should embrace all that they were? As much as he wanted to go back to his other form... he should just accept this one for now.

"That's a good idea, Undyne. Thank you. I think I should just forget worrying about it."

Undyne smiled, though not as widely as she liked to. "That might be the best idea. I also think... we should get some rest. We sorta stayed up most of the night."

She squinted for a moment.

"And now that I think about it, we didn't really need to. It's not like those kids were gonna show up at 3am..."

Papyrus chuckled. "Nyeh heh, but we were ready! Who knows! Maybe they had planned a daring escapade, sneaking out from under their parent's noses to acquire illicit grease!"

"Well, they wouldn't have gotten very far, considering Grillby's was closed by then."

"That's! A fair point. Whatever, we still had fun!"

Undyne grinned. "Yeah we did. But, I'm pretty worn out from all that, and I've still gotta patrol later, so we should rest."

"I suppose. I'm not sleepy, but... Some time to 'chill' might be nice..."

"Sounds good to me. I'm gonna take a nap, you can hang out here. Help yourself to any snacks, I don't mind."

"Okay. I will be polite about it, not to worry! Now, if it were Sans, you might..." he started to joke, but sadness overcame him. "Sans... I hope he's really okay..."

"I'm sure he's fine, wherever he is," Undyne replied, the slightest edge to her voice. "Come on, let's relax and not worry about things for a bit. You're not gonna find him any faster by stressing."

He let her take the lead again, helping her lay some spare blankets on the floor so he wasn't constantly sliding around and had a place to lay down if he wanted. But once she retired to her room, he was left in the quiet of her home. And there was nothing to keep his thoughts from echoing louder and louder within his skull.

Where was Sans? Was Flowey really responsible for his disappearance? What did he want with him anyway? If he was handling this so poorly, how was Sans holding up? Would he be alright? It hadn't been too long since he left, but in the state of mind he'd been in, and how stressed they'd been before--it had only taken him a few days to slip into old habits. Even without Flowey interfering, would Sans still...?

Papyrus curled up in the blankets and shivered as quietly as he could.

At breakfast the next day, Undyne let him know he could stay as long as he wanted, and he agreed--it was a major improvement over staying in his home alone. But as generous as Undyne's offer was, her house was even smaller than his and it only took a couple days for him to get antsy again. She came back from a shift to find him attempting to walk on the ceiling using blue magic, and her startled shout broke his concentration. He fell most of the way before catching himself and floating the rest, landing deftly on his feet. He fidgeted sheepishly under her perplexed gaze before explaining.

"I. Um. Was very bored."

Undyne blinked, and rubbed her forehead with a finger as she stepped the rest of the way into her house. "I can tell, but now there's claw marks in the plaster."

"Sorry."

"Hah! It actually looks rad, so don't worry about it. But geez, I guess being cooped up in one house isn't much better than being cooped up in another. Do I need to get you like, a chew toy or something?"

Papyrus lowered his brows. "That sounds nice... and I hate it."

"Gotcha. I just know it helps the dogs stay focused on a slow shift. I could check some stuff out of the library?"

"I've already read most of my books back home, I don't know if I want to read more..." Papyrus sighed, laying down dejectedly. "I want to _do_ things..."

Undyne frowned. "Man, I really hate seeing you like this... And you're dead-set on not going outside?"

"Not where anyone can see," Papyrus huffed. "If Sans were here, he could just take me somewhere with a shortcut... but I guess he had better things to do."

"Hey, I know he's happy to slack off and ditch anything that looks like work, but I don't believe for a second he'd completely abandon you," Undyne snapped. "He's out there somewhere, and we'll find him--but for now, you're getting out of the house."

"How?!"

"I told you, I know some spots that are way out of the way--no one'll ever see you. I usually use 'em to train.. or.... um... reenact scenes from human history stuff Alphys has shown me... But! It's perfect! I've got another patrol in a bit, so we can head over now and you can hang out there until I'm done. How's that sound?"

Papyrus mulled it over. "And you promise no one will see?"

Undyne nodded firmly. "You have my word. C'mon, let's get some snacks and stuff for you and get going."

"Um... maybe I will take that chew toy too. Just in case."

Undyne beamed, and together they packed a small sling of supplies. Together, they snuck furtively through passages and halls before coming to a grotto leading up a cliff face. Undyne rolled her shoulders, then vaulted up the walls, quickly scaling them; after only a few moments of consideration, Papyrus followed her, leaping most of the way before digging in with his claws and hauling himself the rest of the way up. They traversed another passage, ducking stalactites and squeezing through when the passage narrowed to a fraction of its original width. It was clear why no one ever came this way--it was a hassle just to get through.

But finally the hall opened into a sizable cavern, illuminated by massive spires of glowing crystals, and a still lake filled one side towards the back. A cliff thrust dramatically over the water, and Papyrus instantly knew Undyne used it to practice monologues. No wonder she liked this spot.

"We're here!" she said cheerfully, spinning on her heel to face him as she gestured at the scenery. "I've explored every cranny of this place. There are no other offshoots of any tunnels, and it's so far away no one can hear you scream as you reach your next power level. You can do whatever you want here!"

"Thank you for showing it to me, Undyne. But now I know this secret about you," Papyrus teased.

"And if you tell anyone, I'll have to kill you," Undyne replied, a smile still on her face.

"I gladly accept!"

Undyne coughed laughing. "Oh my god! Papyrus!"

"Not to worry, Undyne, I only jest! I would never tell anyone your secrets. I'd say my lips are sealed, but I don't have any!"

Undyne burst out laughing again, and Papyrus waved his tail from side to side--joking around with Undyne always made him feel better. It was too bad she had to leave, but she had a job to do.

"Well hey, I gotta head out, but we'll hang out here after I'm done, okay?" she promised, and he watched her go feeling optimistic. He still hated having to stay away from everyone, but... at least this place was big enough to run around in.

He turned to study the cavern once more--then unhooked the sling of goodies from his spines and took off, dashing around the room, splashing through the shallows of the lake, climbing the rock formations only to leap and take off again. Oh, to run and jump and _move_ again, why, he could just--

He opened his jaws wide to let a beam of pure magic sear through the air. He snapped his mouth shut and skidded to a halt in surprise--oh. Too soon. He'd have to get a better handle on that one for sure.

Heaving a sigh, Papyrus shook himself out with a clatter and paced over to the sling he'd left on the cave floor. Pulling it open with claws and teeth, he eyed the chew toy--a little rubber newspaper--and picked it up before walking over to the lakeside and laying down. Despite his initial reluctance to take it, it had occurred to him that if he really was going to work to accept his form as it was, he might as well indulge some of the instincts he had. It was surprisingly satisfying to squeeze the rubber between his teeth as he thought, and it helped with the general fidgetiness he'd been feeling of late.

No wonder the dogs liked this kind of thing. It was actually pretty calming.

Eventually, he lost interest though. He set the toy aside and wandered over to the other things they'd packed. Snacks... no, he wasn't hungry. He pushed a can of peanuts away, and it rolled with a clatter... He looked at it pointedly and pushed it again, harder. It rolled further and he hopped to give chase, batting and pawing at it, sending it spinning across the cave floor. He pounced on it--and it skidded from under his claws right into the lake. He went after it, but it was too late--it had already sunk out of sight. He lashed his tail in frustration, his toy gone--but a flash of white beneath the water's surface caught his eye.

He crept to the edge--and was soon entertaining himself by chasing eyeless cave fish around the shallows, summoning tiny bone mazes and watching as they wove through the obstacles to avoid him. But eventually they fled to the depths where he feared to tread, and he left the water to shake and dry off. Oh, that chewy thing looked fun again.

A sound caught his attention--one that wasn't made by him. It felt like a really long time since there'd been any sounds, and he rose into a low crouch as he listened to it draw near. A hard, clanking sound, something big--wait, he knew what it was! A friend! He'd play with them.

"Papyrus! I'm back!" Undyne called into the cavern, and was immediately tackled from behind. She rolled onto her back and kicked, sending her assailant flying with a yelp. She got to her feet, already beaming. "Hah! You thought you could pull one over on ME?! I'm the Captain of the Royal freakin' Guard, punk!"

Papyrus had risen as well, and fixed her with a daring look--before taking off across the room, only to circle back and bark at her when she didn't follow.

"What, you think this is a GAME?!" she bellowed, and took off after him. They wove around the room, throwing out bones and spears alike to try tripping each other up; Undyne was fast, but on four legs, Papyrus was faster and ran circles around her, sometimes stopping just out of reach as if to taunt her.

Wait. Why wasn't he just taunting her?

"Dude, Papyrus, timeout," she called, slowing to a jog. Papyrus continued to trot around her mockingly. She scowled, and cast a spear horizontally in his path--he leapt over it easily and didn't slow down at all, jumping over it again as he circled back around. "Oh come on!"

He trilled something that almost sounded like "nyeh heh heh", and Undyne squinted.

"Uh, Papyrus...? Why aren't you talking?"

Finally, he seemed to slow down, and confusion danced briefly on his face. But then he went back to trotting at full speed, that mischievous look back on his face.

Undyne frowned, and brandished another spear. With a wave, Papyrus' soul flashed green, and he was suddenly locked in place. He gave a playful growl as he spun to face her, tail lashing. Light gathered in his jaws--Undyne lunged forward, wrapping her hand around his muzzle. His eyes went wide in surprise, and white-hot sparks shot from between his teeth as he coughed on his unfired beam. Undyne let him go, and he spluttered for a bit more before shaking himself out and staring at the ground.

"Ahem. Oh dear."

"Papyrus?"

He looked up at her. "Yes."

Undyne made a face at him. "Did you forget how to talk or something?"

Papyrus winced. "Um. Maybe a little."

"How does that even happen? Are you okay?" Undyne asked, and Papyrus shook himself out again before sitting and staring at his feet.

"It's so easy sometimes," he uttered, and she lowered a brow.

"To forget how to talk?"

"To forget how to person."

Undyne grimaced. "Is that... part of your... um. Transformation?"

Papyrus shrugged. "A little, I guess. There are some things that just make more sense, like this. Like, how to smell things, how to chase... It's like parts of my brain wake up--or would, if I had a brain. But, it's like other parts want to sleep. Ones that... supposedly are less useful."

Undyne saw the subtle shiver that ran through him.

But Papyrus quickly puffed his chest out. "But it's fine! They only _want_ to sleep, and I don't sleep! I slipped up a little bit today, but that's okay! I'm still me!"

"Yeah you are," Undyne affirmed, punching him lightly in the shoulder and knocking him off balance. "Still, should I, uh, be worried about it?"

"No! Because you'll be able to break me out of it! You're great at breaking things!"

"Heck yeah! Don't worry Papyrus, I've got your back," Undyne reassured him. "You ready to head home?"

"Yes! I think I'm in sore need of some bad television. Just the thing to take my mind off losing my mind!"

"Papyrus, oh my god."

It was much later, long after Undyne had gone to bed, that Papyrus let himself think about what had happened. It was unsettling how easily he'd given in to instinct today. And sure, he was trying to accept himself for what he was, and that meant accepting those instincts too. But until he was used to engaging all parts of his mind equally--as easily as he'd once exchanged one form for another--it was too easy to slip firmly into what _he_ had wanted him to be. Was it really their training that made it so alluring, or was it something intrinsic about this form that made acting on instinct so easy...?

He really had to wonder how Sans was doing on that front.

The doctor had had him the longest, pushed him the hardest. He'd never been able to mold him into the perfectly obedient weapon he desired, but he'd worn him down until there was little left _but_ his instincts, and that was almost as good in the doctor's eyes. Papyrus had managed to encourage him to reclaim the full range of his senses and intelligence, but it hadn't been easy, and Sans had relapsed many times before they'd finally sent the doctor to his fate.

But they weren't in the lab anymore; wherever Sans was, Papyrus had doubts it was nearly as harsh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, so close... but things can never be resolved so quickly can they? Sans will have to wait... At least Papyrus isn't on his own anymore, but the story--and his struggles--are far from over...
> 
> Undyne and Papyrus have one of my favorite friendships, and it's always fun writing them interacting; they get to do so a lot in this fic, so if you're enjoying it there'll be plenty more where that came from. Once again, thanks for reading!


	8. Predatory Instinct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans is not a pet. All he has to do is wait for the right moment.

Sans waited.

It was his best quality.

It had let him survive before.

He waited. Watched.

The yellow flower was annoying. It wanted to control him. He didn't want to play its game though, so he just ignored it, and it was fun to make the flower mad. He couldn't do anything to hurt him, not really, so watching him seethe and throw little tantrums anytime things didn't go his way had become his main source of amusement. When the flower wasn't there, he slept. If he stayed awake, it hurt. He missed his brother a lot, and if he slept, he didn't have to think about that, or how long it'd been since he'd last seen him.

There was no point in trying to leave. He'd tried a few times, a few different ways, testing. Learning. If he tried to cut or bite the vines holding him, they'd just grow back. The flower came with if he cut across space, so that was no good, and he was too strong and sneaky to just kill. He had a special not-dying power anyway. Sans remembered that much.

So he'd wait until the flower got bored.

Got too comfortable.

He knew to look for weak points. Opportunities. To strike when the time was right.

The flower tried to get him to do what he wanted. He'd taunted him, tried to trick him into attacking, tried to provoke him. But he wouldn't even dignify him with a warning hiss most days. It wasn't the right time. There was no point in getting upset.

"Ugh, maybe I should just drop you in the middle of New Home and see what happens," the flower was saying. "But that's no fun if you won't attack. You really are useless, huh?"

Sans eyed the flower disdainfully, dull memories surfacing. The man had called them useless at the end. A waste of effort. Had said he should have destroyed them the moment he'd seen their souls. Sans had bit him then. He'd wanted to destroy the man's soul for saying something like that. The man was long gone now, but it was still a bad memory.

"Hey, no growling! Bad!" the flower scolded, slapping his snout with a vine. "Though, it's an improvement over what you used to say. I'm doing this world a favor by sparing everyone from your awful jokes."

Sans snorted, and shifted to lean more on one side. These vines were pretty uncomfortable, but he'd slept on worse. He was getting tired.

"You know though," the flower continued to muse, "it's been a really long time since I've seen your brother. I thought sure you going missing would get to him, but it's like he's missing too."

Something else stirred in Sans' memories. His brother... missing? Hadn't that happened before?

"You know what, I'm gonna check it out. You, stay."

Sans squinted at him as he disappeared into the earth. Not like he could go anywhere. He waited for a little while, then drifted off to sleep.

The flower came back a long time later. "Yep, he's gone! Everyone thinks he went on vacation, but I know for a fact he never takes vacations for any reason. What do you think of that, trashbag? Oh right, I don't think you can answer anymore! Hee hee!"

Sans amused himself by sending up a pair of bones right beside Flowey and making him jump.

"Hey! No! Bad! Bad dog... dragon... thing!" Flowey scolded, tightening the vines that restrained him until he couldn't breathe. Then, he let them loosen again. "You attack when I tell you to, or you're not getting burgers anymore!"

Oh, he did like those... but it was worth the risk. It was fun playing with his prey.

The flower scowled at him, and left. Sans settled in to nap some more. It really was a good way to pass the time while he waited--for a chance to strike, or the next meal. As long as the flower brought him food, he wasn't in too much of a hurry. After all, waiting was his best quality.

He didn't know how long it'd had been, but at some point the flower dragged in a big bag of--something. It smelled like food, but not as good as the burgers. Sans eyed it warily. After a lot of struggle and muffled swearing, the flower gave up and used his attacks to punch a hole in the bag before dumping a portion of its contents into a bowl. The meaty smell was stronger now--and burger or not, he was hungry. The flower noticed him eyeing it and grinned.

"Oh good, I was worried you'd turn your nose up at this, but you never were a picky eater. This stuff's way cheaper, and I can't stand farming Tem Village for gold anymore and it's not like you listened to me anyway. If it's good enough for the dogs, it's good enough for you. Maybe you'll get treats if you're good."

Ah, the flower was just trying to control him again. Well, food was food, and he'd keep biding his time. The flower didn't own all the burgers, he knew that much, and once he escaped he'd have those whenever he wanted. This stuff... he sniffed at it, then tried a bit. Really, it wasn't much different from the dry pelleted food he'd gotten from the man so long ago. It tasted better, if nothing else, so he shrugged to himself and dug in.

"Aaaanyway," the flower continued, "I still haven't figured out what happened to your brother. I know he can be sneaky, but this is getting ridiculous. If he IS on vacation, where did he even go!?"

Sans continued eating. The flower liked to talk, and it never took him long to keep doing so.

"No one seems to think he's dead, so at least there's that... But Snowdin's definitely on edge without you guys being the local fools, so I guess that's interesting. Maybe I'll arrange a brotherly reunion when I figure out where he is, so he can see what you've become," the flower goaded.

Sans snorted again. His brother was like him. The flower was dumb.

"Oh, I know _you_ don't care, but I bet he would! Especially if I can figure out how to make you go into some berserk rage, like those human werewolf stories. THAT would be really fun. Hmm... now... how do I go about finding him?"

Sans finished his lunch and settled into the vines, getting as cozy as he could. Now that he'd eaten and the flower wasn't doing anything amusing, he was ready for a nap. The flower left him to it, more concerned with whatever silly plan he was trying to cook up.

A few days passed where the flower didn't do much but come by to feed him--though he quickly learned not to leave the bag of food in Sans' line of sight. Even if Sans wasn't able to move, that didn't mean things couldn't move to _him_. He rasped a laugh to himself--remembering the flower's outraged expression was still funny, and not getting the next few days' meals because he'd eaten them already was worth it. Anything that inconvenienced this jerk was well-deserved.

... Though... he was starting to forget exactly why. It was complicated, and he was tired of thinking about complicated things. It was enough to know he was bad, and needed to be defeated, but couldn't be defeated by attacking him. He just needed to wait for the right moment... however long that took. It had been a long time already. But he could wait.

He startled awake to the flower's shouting.

"Howdy trashbag!"

He hissed at him.

"Hey now, don't be like that! I've had my fun--I'm gonna let you go. Isn't that nice of me?”

He snorted. All this effort to keep him trapped, and he was just being let go? It was almost insulting.

"C'mon, it wasn't so bad here! You got to sleep all the time, eat a bunch, not work--pretty much everything you care about! But, you're pretty boring for a pet. So I'm gonna let you go home."

If this was really happening, his patience had paid off, even if he hadn't figured out how to make the flower pay. He pushed against the vines still holding him, and the flower tutted.

"Not so fast--you've gotta be careful! Everyone's gonna be scared of you, and they'll attack! And sure, you might be able to dodge one person... but a whole town... Well, let's just say your odds aren't good. So you have to stay hidden, okay? I know I was kinda mean to you sometimes, but I don't want you to get hurt."

He mulled over his words.

"So don't let yourself be seen or they'll hunt you down, okay? Alright, I'm letting you go..."

The vines loosened. He kept his eyes on the flower--was this a trick? What game was he playing? But the vines shrank away, and he felt like he was floating after being pressed to the ground for so long--and stiff. Very very stiff. Before he could even think about walking, he had to stretch and work the magic back into his extremities. Getting to his feet at last, he shook himself out and stared the flower down. A dozen bones burst from the ground and caged him in--

And then they--and he--were gone.

He stood in his living room again for the first time in--he didn't know. A long time. He called out, a friendly hoot to let his brother know he was back...

But nobody came.

He blinked, and called again before shuffling around and sniffing at the floor. Familiarity--home--family--filled his mind, and he breathed it in to flood himself with it. He'd forgotten how much he missed it, his brother most of all, and flopped down to roll and rub his bones against the carpet so he didn't smell like wet mud and vines anymore. But as he rolled, something else caught his eye. It was weirdly messy--there was a torn pillow, and a strip of carpet was missing. That wasn't right. Had... had his brother done that? Where was he?

He got up and continued to sniff around--oh, the fridge smelled good, he'd come back to that later--but none of the scents he found were fresh. Except for... a dog? Maybe? He couldn't tell. He huffed in frustration, waving his tail slowly before cutting up to his brother's room. Even here, the scent trail was old, and the floor was scattered with papers and books. His brother wouldn't leave things messy like this... He whined as a familiar ache entered his soul.

He'd done something like this before, right? His brother had gone...

He turned to walk through the door, and stepped out into the forest. His brother liked to be out here, maybe he could find a new trail to follow like last time. Last time...? Right, he _had_ done this before. He'd gotten really lazy about remembering... He set off, plowing through the snow until he reached the main path. Nose to the ground, and--

A shriek rang through his skull, and a hefty ice attack thumped into the ground where he'd stood only moments ago. He fled the room and was back in his house before he'd even seen his attacker, and sat on the carpet panting. That flower had been right. People _were_ afraid of him.

And now he was afraid of them too.

His brother was like him. Had he been attacked? Was that why he was missing? He got up to pace restlessly. No, his brother had to be okay--he was smart, he was strong. But what if he'd gone out and been caught? And if that had happened--oh, even if he'd gotten away, his spirit would be crushed.

This was bad, but he didn't know what to do. The flower might have set him free, but he was back in a world with problems and complications he didn't know how to fix. Uttering another low whine, he cut back to his brother's room and clambered onto his bed. It was as close to him as he could be--and still smelled of clean bones and linen. Maybe he'd go out looking for his brother later, but he didn't feel like it now, not so soon after he'd been attacked. He'd stay here, scavenge whatever was left in the fridge, and wait to see if his brother might come back.

After all, waiting was his best quality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we've finally seen how Sans is doing--maybe it's better than expected, but if Flowey weren't so bad at both animal training and being boring, maybe he could have succeeded in his plans for the skeleton... But that isn't to say he doesn't have something else cooked up. =u=;
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! I hope you'll look forward to the next chapter ^^


	9. Local Cryptid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rumor's been spreading in Snowdin...

"I'd dismissed it as gossip myself, but then that Ice Cap said they attacked it," Dogaressa was saying, catching Undyne's attention as she stepped indoors.

"What's going on?"

"Oh! Captain!" Dogamy yelped, and the dogs gathered around the table at Grillby's quickly stood and saluted.

"At ease," she said, and the group collectively wagged their tails as they sat back down. "Really though, what were you talking about before I came in?"

"Some rumor," Doggo replied dismissively. "It's been going around a couple weeks now. Supposedly there's some kind of beast running around attacking people. Some even think it's a human. I don't believe a word though, I haven't seen anything."

"And we haven't smelled anything," Dogamy added, his wife nodding. "It was all just hearsay until two days ago, but everyone's been on edge because of it."

"Two days ago--that's when the Ice Cap saw it?" Undyne surmised, and her crew nodded.

"Did they get a good look at it? If someone's causing trouble--or if it IS a human--we can't let them escape justice. You know the policy."

The dogs exchanged looks.

"Well..." Dogamy started.

"The Ice Cap didn't exactly _see_ what they attacked," Dogaressa said, drumming the table with her claws, her brows furrowed. "All they could say was that it was big and white--frankly, that could be anyone at this table. Or even just a snowbank... The rumors, though..."

"Supposedly," Doggo picked up, "it's some kind of deathly skeletal beast that picks off people who stray too far into the woods to eat their dust. Sounds like something parents would say to scare their kids if you ask me. Uh... that's why we haven't reported it. We were just discussing what to do before you walked in."

"I see." Undyne narrowed her eye. "...Skeletal?"

Doggo shrugged. "Yeah, all made of bones, like the brothers who used to live around here, but no one's actually seen it so who knows... By the way, have you heard from either of them lately? I thought sure Papyrus would be back from vacation by now, and you said Sans was sick... but it's been a real long time..."

Undyne studied her crew's somber faces and made a quick decision. "Papyrus is fine, I've been in contact with him. As for Sans... we don't know where he is--just that he... probably isn't dead. Seems he's taking a vacation of his own."

The table considered her words somberly.

"There's been some speculation that he was one of the beast's first victims," Dogaressa said quietly. "Of course, no one else has disappeared, so it's kind of silly, but... he has been gone for a while, and other people have been attacked."

"It's been a lot more glum without either of 'em runnin' around," Doggo sighed, propping his head on a paw, and Undyne's heart twisted.

"Well, I'll let Papyrus know how much you guys miss him, and... I guess, keep an eye out for Sans--and this so-called beast. If people are getting hurt, we need to bring it--or whoever's behind this--into custody as soon as possible. I'll have more formal orders for you later, but if you'll excuse me, I DID come here to order food."

The dogs nodded and waved her off, and she headed for the counter.

"Hey Grillby, long time no see. Yeah, one order of cheese fries, thanks."

She waited on her food, thoughts buzzing. If the rumor was true, it didn't make any sense. A skeletal beast... she only knew one person who fit that description, and he'd been hanging with her for three weeks now. Her fries were set before her, interrupting her thoughts briefly, but she continued to ponder as she ate. Gossip and rumor wasn't unheard of--it, for better or worse, was a frequent form of entertainment in the Underground. But tales of strange creatures were rare--largely because almost everyone was a strange creature. Was someone trying to play a joke...? Being petty about their neighbor? Or... was there more to it? She needed information.

"Hey, so the rumor that's been going around, the one about the beast," she started, turning to the red bird sitting next to her. "Any idea who started it?"

The bird opened a bleary eye. "No one's entirely sure, Cap'n. Jus', one day it was all the kids could talk about. Think maybe it's some game they're playin'. Right Grilbz?"

The fire elemental paused to nod.

"Hmm. The Guard told me people have been attacked?"

"Sure, and everyone's all jumpy because of that," the bird replied, "but I still think it's the kids, messin' around with their magic. _Someone_ oughta set 'em back on track."

Undyne snorted a laugh. "I get the hint. Still... no one's even seen it, but they're all pretty sure it's not a regular monster, huh?"

The bird thought for a moment. "Guess not. If it's someone new to town, why haven't they introduced themselves? Us Snowdin folks don't bite--the dogs are real good about that."

"I would hope so," Undyne stated, brow raised. "You're right though. If there really is someone out there attacking people, they need to be dealt with. Thanks for the info. Here Grillby, keep the change. Stay safe."

The dogs saluted her as she marched back out; she was really glad she'd decided to treat herself and learned about this situation sooner rather than later. What an odd rumor to start up... Her thoughts still swirled, trying to piece it all together. She was confident no one had seen Papyrus in his current state--but maybe something had gotten past her. If that was the case though, why had the rumors started in Snowdin and not Waterfall? And that relied on the description of the beast being accurate--as far as she knew, no one had actually _seen_ it. It was an odd coincidence--but not enough for proof.

With a scowl deepening on her face, no one dared stop her during her patrol, and by the time she headed off to pick up Papyrus she was ready to punch something. People were getting hurt, and she couldn't understand or figure out why. Maybe it was reckless kids--but whether it was that, some rogue monster, or even a human somehow, they needed to be stopped. And if it _was_ Papyrus at the center of this--then someone needed to be set straight about that too. But without any major leads or evidence, she couldn't take action. There was nothing she could _do_ about it. She hated it.

"Undyne? You look... displeased..." Papyrus noted wincingly as she stormed into his sanctuary, and she checked herself.

"Sorry, uh... bad day at work. Hope things went okay here?"

"Yes! Quiet as usual! Well! Except for when I was practicing my best bone rattles. Would you care for a demonstration?"

Somehow, he was already brightening her mood--she broke into a smile. "Aaaah c'mere, I'll rattle your bones for ya!"

He dodged her lunge with a yelp and took off, and she was happy to chase after him and let off steam until she ran out of breath. Sinking to the cavern floor with a clatter, she laid her legs out in front of her and leaned back on her hands, panting. Papyrus, who had won yet another round, trotted up and turned in place a few times before laying down next to her.

"That should have put some distance between you and your problems," he said, and she laughed breathlessly.

"Oh, my god."

"I'm not wrong." He beamed.

"No," she replied, "no, you aren't. I feel a lot better. Thanks."

"Then I have done my job! Nyeh heh heh!"

"Hey, I saw some people who really miss you today."

"Really?"

"Yeah--I went to Grillby's for lunch and talked to the dogs, they're all still worried about you guys and hope you'll be back soon."

"Aw," Papyrus said, looking flattered. "I still can't believe I have so many fans! I'll have to be sure to say hello when I return--though, not by going to Grillby's. I could smell you coming almost as soon as I could hear you!"

"Hey, I don't smell that bad!"

Papyrus looked like if he'd had a nose, he'd have wrinkled it. "You smell like greasy, sweaty fish and it's a wonder I haven't keeled over."

"Oh my god! I'm gonna push you into the lake!"

"Then I'm taking you with me! You need a bath!"

"Just you try it, bone boy! NGAAAAAHHH!"

Undyne was up and chasing him again in a flash--and between her own single-mindedness and some clever moves on Papyrus' part she did end up careening into the lake. Armor sopping, she hauled herself up laughing, and had to take a moment to lean with hands on her knees. Papyrus watched her happily, tail waving in a motion that wasn't quite wagging but seemed to mean the same thing.

"Alright, I've had enough fooling around for now. Ready to head home?"

"Yeah! I think I'd like to try those clothes you talked about tonight."

"Awesome! Yeah, Alphys helped me pick some stuff out, she knows what dealing with a tail is like and had some great suggestions. I think you're really gonna like 'em!"

Papyrus bounced in place, then darted off to collect his things. Undyne was extra vigilant as they headed back; she scouted ahead to make sure the coast was clear, ears pricked and eye darting at every sound and motion they encountered. Escort missions were always a bother, but if her friend was being targeted by awful rumors... She wasn't taking any chances.

They got back to her house without incident, but Undyne had made a decision. She'd considered leaving the strange sightings to the Snowdin unit until further notice, certain they could handle it. But the more she'd thought about it, the more she was certain someone had seen Papyrus. Considering it was her duty to protect him while he tried to regain his other form, she owed it to him to track down whoever had started the rumor and get to the bottom of this personally. He was getting more comfortable with himself every day--he hadn't slipped in over a week--and she wouldn't let his own hometown ruin that for him. They spent the evening laughing, wrestling, and relaxing as they always did, but all the while, Undyne had her mind set on her goal.

It was only a few days later that she heard from the Snowdin dogs that word had spread of residents hearing eerie howls. According to witnesses, these cries came from deep within Snowdin Forest late at night, well after most monsters had gone to bed. But despite being the usual suspects, the calls were not coming from the dogs themselves--they didn't sound right. No one quite knew how to describe what they'd heard, but they all knew how it had made them feel: terrified.

All this had been charted in a brief report. Undyne looked it over again, shaking her head. She'd thought the beast rumor had been based on a sighting of Papyrus, but there was no way he was responsible for these howls. He'd have to be sneaking out every night while she was asleep... which, she supposed was possible. She wasn't sure he slept...? But, she _was_ sure he wouldn't risk the whole trek to and from Snowdin every night, and she knew he'd never hurt anyone. He liked fighting, but... this wasn't his style at all. She had no reason to doubt him.

Undyne glared at the report and growled under her breath. Was the rumor and the howling even connected? The story had started up well before any strange noises... it didn't add up. None of this made sense and it was making her brain hurt. She slipped the note into the rest of the paperwork she'd put together so far, then left the small archive feeling antsy. It wasn't often a full report had to be filled out--most incidents were small and easily resolved, but this one... people had been hurt. Someone had to face justice for that, whether the beast was real or not.

And then, only a few days after the howling had begun, someone pounded on her door in the middle of the night. She ushered Papyrus into her room--a rare allowance--and answered to find the Dogi and Grillby decked out in a plastic poncho, wading boots, and an umbrella. His normally reserved expression seemed alarmed, and Undyne wasn't sure if it was because of a trek through hostile territory, or why he was here to begin with.

"What's happened?" she said quickly, and the Dogi saluted.

"Captain! We apologize for waking you, but this was urgent. The beast is real--Grillby saw it!" Dogamy replied, and his wife nodded.

"Grillby, please describe what you saw to Captain Undyne."

Her understanding of Hands was rusty, but Undyne did her best to follow the bartender as he explained. He'd just turned in for the night after closing, and hadn't been in bed long when a noise disturbed him. He got up to investigate, and found something digging in the restaurant trash.

At this point, he paused, looking unsure of himself.

"Go on," Undyne encouraged, and he rubbed the back of his neck before continuing.

He'd turned up his light, and seen it really was skeletal just like the rumor had said (and with Sans being his best customer, he knew a skeleton when he saw one). But the creature had noticed him as well, and he took no chances and cast a burst of flame at it. It darted off faster than he thought a creature of that size could move, and just like that, it was gone. He'd secured his trash, then found the Dogi as quickly as he could to give them his report and evidence. They'd made the decision to go to Waterfall from there.

Undyne considered all this carefully. "Thank you, Grillby. Whatever this thing is, it seems like it's getting bolder. We might have to put a curfew in place until we can catch it--for now, advise people to put their trash indoors and keep an eye out. Did you smell anything unusual on the evidence?"

Dogamy shook his head. "It just smelled like snow--and Grillby's--and maybe something else we couldn't identify. Not good enough to track. But here, you can have it for the file."

He handed her a small plastic baggie with a few torn-up napkins and a burger wrapper with holes punched in it--a bite pattern. She eyed it skeptically, but took it and set it on the table. "Thanks. You guys get some rest, call me if anything else happens. We'll continue the investigation tomorrow. Dismissed."

The Dogi saluted, and Grillby gave an awkward bow before they left. Undyne waited until they were well out of earshot.

"Okay Papyrus, you can come out. They're gone."

The door creaked, and he slowly crept out. "Is everything alright? What happened?"

She smiled at him. "Everything's fine! Just a small investigation that's ongoing, nothing you need to worry about."

"Oh, I'm not worried--I want to help! If. If I can. If that is a thing I can do. Which it almost definitely is."

Undyne shook her head. "No Papyrus. The Guard is handling this. Your assignment is staying safe while you try to get your regular body back."

Papyrus looked hurt. "You think I can't keep myself safe? You complimented my bullet patterns just last week--"

"I know!" Undyne snapped. "Your magic is great, but--"

"But what?"

She grit her teeth, rubbing her face. "... We're still trying to figure out what's going on, and everyone's on high alert for anything strange. Even Grillby... I don't want you getting hurt because someone made a mistake. I'll bring you in when I think the time is right, but until then, you have to stay hidden, and no investigating on your own. Promise?"

Papyrus studied her for a bit, and closed his eyes. "... I promise, Undyne."

She breathed a sigh. "Alright. And I'm SERIOUS! No sneaking out!"

He jumped, then nodded quickly. "I'm sure if I did not get in trouble out there, I would be in a definite quantity of trouble with you, and that is the opposite of a calming thought. So. I'll just wait here! You can count on me!"

Undyne smiled. "Good. I'm gonna go back to bed so I'm ready for tomorrow. You should try and rest too."

"I will. Goodnight, Undyne."

"G'night."

Undyne turned back to her bedroom. With all this new information, falling asleep would he hard... But it was better if she faced this with a clear head.

Because the only thought she'd had that seemed to make any sense was that this creature was Sans, and that couldn't be right. She'd never admit to Papyrus, but she was starting to doubt he was even alive at this point... and they'd both told her this shapeshifting thing was unique to Papyrus. But Undyne didn't know of any other skeletons...

Even if it _was_ Sans somehow, she couldn't let Papyrus go charging in, not when he matched the description of the creature everyone was either attacking or had orders to capture. Until she knew more, she couldn't let him get involved. She settled into bed, one thought clear above the others.

No matter who or what this creature was, it wouldn't escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, an Undyne-centric chapter! Between her dedication and boisterous nature, I have a lot of fun writing her ^^
> 
> Also, apologies for this chapter being late--I forgot to mention i'd be gone and didn't have a chance to post until now... but, it's up now and that's the main thing right? Next weekend has no such plans, so things should be back to normal. I hope you look forward to it, because there's going to be some action =u=
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	10. Setup and Punchline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terrorizing Snowdin is fun enough, but Flowey wants more--where's Papyrus in all of this...?

Flowey suppressed a giggle as he hid beneath the lowest branches of a pine. Two monsters--a purple deer and a double-eared fox--were hiking just outside Snowdin. Idiots. Didn't they know there was a beast running loose?!

Flowey's smile turned jagged. There was a crack, and plumes of snow burst around the hapless monsters. Withdrawing his vines, he sent them running with a shower of pellets, delighting in their screams. He'd gotten bored of killing, but instilling fear in people was still fun and he had the perfect scapegoat.

Well, more like scape-dragon. His little rumor had done the trick. Even if he couldn't get Sans to attack, the townsfolk were so used to nothing happening it was easy to whip them into a panic. A prod here, a nudge there, a hail of bullets in between, and all of Snowdin had been buzzing within a week. He'd given it another just to really let it set in--and then let his pet go.

Flowey hadn't actually seen Sans in a while now, though he'd noticed his tracks around town and heard him howling at night. To think the toughest opponent he'd ever faced could be reduced to hiding in the shadows and relying on people's trash to get by! Though... that's more or less what all of monster kind was doing... A simple fact of life wasn't the best insult. Flowey frowned, his gloating spoiled. So much for that.

His fun over for now, he left his hiding spot to check in on the latest with the Guard. They usually met around this time to discuss the day's orders now that living in Snowdin had actually become eventful. Flowey liked keeping track of just how much chaos he'd caused, so he popped up beneath another tree and eagerly listened in.

"Undyne should be here soon, right?" Doggo was saying, and there was a rustle--presumably one of the Dogi nodding.

"We're supposed to meet with her at nine sharp. I wonder what our orders will be now that we know the beast is real," Dogamy said, and Doggo growled.

"I don't like it. We can't smell it, barely anyone's seen it--and its tracks just disappear into nowhere! Maybe it _did_ eat Sans and stole his weird... appearing without moving thing..."

Flowey stifled a laugh. How were they all so dumb?!

Dogamy sighed. "Those brothers sure were something... at least Undyne told us Papyrus is okay."

Huh. So _someone_ knew where Papyrus was...

"I've just gotta wonder about Sans after he was so worked up... and then he got sick, and we haven't seen him since. I hope he hasn't... you know..."

Doggo huffed. "Yeah. Damn. Oh hey--there's Greater Dog with the rest of 'em, guess it's time. Undyne's probably two steps behind 'em."

Flowey ducked a little closer to the ground to see better. He could hear the clanking of armor as Greater and Lesser Dogs trotted up with Dogaressa in tow. All the dogs shuffled around each other happily, sniffing and yipping; Flowey gagged as the Dogi kissed each other sloppily. Then someone started the morning howl, and they collectively threw their heads back to cry, their hot breath sending plumes of vapor into the chilled air.

Flowey found it all incredibly dumb.

Metal clanking rose over their voices, and their howls died away as they turned to salute their captain. She returned the gesture as she surveyed her troops, and sighed. She looked troubled.

"Anything to report before I begin?"

"No ma'am," Dogaressa replied firmly, "to our knowledge, there have been no further incidents. What are our orders for the day?"

Undyne nodded. "Right. We need to see if we can capture this... creature. It's clearly not a human, which means it has to be a monster somehow, so I don't want anyone hurting it. Whoever they are WON'T escape justice. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am!" they chorused.

"Good. Now, if it's scavenging from people's trash... that's gotta mean it's hungry."

"I can relate," Doggo murmured wryly, and Dogamy elbowed him.

"Ahem," Undyne growled, then continued. "What I was saying was, we might be able to lure it out with food. Today, I want everyone to scout out places that look promising--where there's been a lot of tracks, places that naturally make escape difficult. We're NOT letting this thing get away."

Flowey quietly scoffed--good luck with that plan. Sans wouldn't be found if he didn't want to be, and he couldn't be caught so easily either. He would know--he'd had to keep him tied up personally at all times just to keep him from disappearing on a whim. This would be hilarious. Even more so if he messed with them the whole time. The guards broke their huddle to get to work, and Flowey followed with full intent to sabotage.

He dumped snow on the Dogi, threw a stick for Greater Dog that sent him skidding across a patch of ice, and kept pulling on Doggo's tail when he wasn't looking; Undyne was harder to mess with, but he still managed to clock her in the helmet with a big icicle. By the time the morning shift was over, he'd made a thorough nuisance of himself and was quite pleased.

"Maybe this beast is actually a ghost, and they're playing poltergeist with us," Doggo growled dejectedly during one of their breaks, and Greater Dog whined in agreement.

"We'll question the ghost cousins if we have to, but I want everyone to focus on our goal," Undyne commanded. "There's already been one incident today. Let's do everything we can to make sure there's not another. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!"

Flowey had gotten bored of messing with them, so he left them and settled for poking around town to see what other havoc he could cause while the Guard was occupied. There wasn't much--everyone had taken to keeping their things and themselves indoors, so the most he could do was tap on windows and scratch at walls. But not being able to see the fear on his victim's faces took the fun out of it, and he grew bored of that too. He might as well wait for Undyne to get home so he could find out where Papyrus was.

He wasn't sad to exchange Snowdin's ice for Waterfall's mud, popping up in the corridor just outside Undyne's home. He'd hang out here, then maybe catch her attention as she passed by.

The wait was almost unbearable, but he finally heard her clanking down the passage and wriggled with excitement. Finally, he'd be able to question her--wait, where was she going? She'd passed by and continued down the hall. Flowey lowered a brow, and ducked down to follow her. At one point he overshot--she'd stopped somewhere behind him, at a cleft in the rock walls that wasn't really a path. She sprang up, and he burrowed as fast as he could to catch up before he lost sight of her completely.

He came out in time to see her finish vaulting up the walls and frowned. It could take him hours to find a route through the rock... but he didn't want to keep sitting around. He wanted-- _needed_ \--to know what Undyne was doing, because this pathway was _new_. He grit his teeth, and sent out his roots to feel for weak points in the rock.

He finally emerged on a landing some twenty feet above the spot he'd left, and muddy boot prints confirmed this was where Undyne had come through. He peered down the corridor they led into, and cautiously made his way forward. There wouldn't be so many places to hide here--but not far from the exit, he found a nook between a few stalagmites and hung back, listening as Undyne spoke.

"Yeah, sorry about that. There's just... a lot going on with this investigation. Nothing serious, don't worry! But it's got the Guard all worked up and someone's gotta keep 'em on task, y'know?"

"Of course!" Papyrus replied.

Flowey frowned. Papyrus was way out here? Why?!

"Are you sure I can't help yet?"

"No, we can handle it," Undyne replied firmly. "We're close to a breakthrough, I can feel it!"

He heard Papyrus huff. "I'm sure your investigation would be over instantly if I helped, but fine... Anyway! You wanted a sparring session tonight!"

"YEAH! Gotta stay sharp, especially now that there's an active threat. Plus, you're perfect for helping me against--" Undyne cut herself off.

"Against anything!" Papyrus supplied.

"Yeah," Undyne agreed. "Alright, let's get into positions... and, whenever you're ready!"

Flowey heard the familiar ping of a blue attack, and Undyne was already laughing eagerly.

"Right off the bat! Hell yeah, bring it ON!"

Flowey listened to them clash, wishing there was some way to watch--but he hadn't found any more weak points in the surrounding rock. Drilling straight through would take forever--they'd be done by then. So he sat back and listened, and flinched at the hum of a 'special attack'. Flowey shook his head. 'Gaster Blaster' was a cooler name than that, but he never could get Papyrus to use it.

"Hah! You're hardly TRYING!" Undyne taunted as she undoubtedly summoned a ton of spears. "Now, dodge THIS!"

He could almost picture Papyrus darting around each crashing spear--but the sounds he heard didn't match. They were scratchy, clicky, came too close together to make sense with his mental image. Flowey furrowed his brow. What the heck was Papyrus doing? Walking on bone stilts?

A raspy yelp startled him from his thoughts.

"Oh geez, sorry!" Undyne called. "Are you okay?"

More clicking sounds, and Papyrus cleared his throat. "Yes! I was simply startled by that arrangement, that's all! It was very good!"

"Fuhuhuhu, thanks! I based it on a thing Alphys showed me--I'm gonna surprise the humans by using their own tactics against them!"

"Clever! It certainly caught me off guard! But soon! I'll be on the Guard! Nyeh heh heh heh heh!"

Undyne burst out laughing. "Not so fast! You gotta get through me first, punk! Come on! Prove you've got what it takes!"

Their sparring match began anew, and Flowey continued to eavesdrop. Papyrus seemed to be using his special attack more often than usual--maybe he was getting over thinking he had to 'save it' to keep it special. But... oddly... it sounded like Undyne was holding back? For all her boasting, he could hear it--she wasn't using as many spears as she usually did.

Papyrus confirmed it. "Hmph! You tell me to go all out! But you! You're holding back on me! You think I can't take it?"

"No!"

Papyrus gave an offended gasp. "You don't?!"

"No! That's not what I meant!" Undyne retorted. "I meant 'no' I think you can! I just! Don't--I don't feel like it! Ngaaaah!"

Well, _that_ sounded like the usual number of spears.

"See! I knew you could do better!" Papyrus cheered when the salvo was over. "I even got hit a few times! But this battle isn't over yet!"

"... I dunno, Papyrus. I don't wanna hurt you anymore."

A huff. "You keep saying that! Or things like it! I know you're a very strong monster--you're the Captain! But! You seem to be afraid of everyone else hurting me too, and though it's true I don't wish to be seen, that is not the same... as being able to handle myself in battle! Nyeh!"

Undyne grunted, apparently taken off-guard by his attack. Flowey pondered his words--he didn't want to be seen? He was Papyrus, he _always_ wanted to be seen...

"That's not it!" Undyne grunted. "It's--attacking you right now... feels like attacking a puppy!"

There was a long pause as the battle ground to a halt, but Papyrus finally spoke.

"... I see."

"No, I mean--it's just--you're already so nice! And then, everything that's happened getting you down--I dunno, it doesn't feel fair anymore."

"Our fights are very fair, Undyne! Perhaps the most fair! I am not, despite appearances, a puppy, but a very capable and dedicated warrior!"

_Despite appearances!?_ Flowey's mind raced. If he was right--no, no, he _needed_ to see. He hoped this little chat would wrap up soon, it was getting in the way!

Undyne sighed heavily. "I know, but... Listen, forget I said anything. You're a great fighter. There's just been a bunch of junk that doesn't make sense lately. Let's head home and get dinner, that'll clear both our heads."

"... Okay. I'm sure whatever feelings you're struggling with will be subdued by punching vegetables!"

"Yeah! Need any help packing up?"

"No, I can manage!"

Flowey cheered internally, then ducked back and waited. He could hear Undyne's armor clanging as she approached, and the rustling as Papyrus gathered up whatever stuff he had. And then, more clicking, a steady rhythm against the cavern floor. Flowey practically vibrated with excitement as it grew louder, nearer. The hall darkened briefly as Undyne filled the entrance then passed, and then it darkened again--though not as much, and Flowey kept his eyes riveted to the opening.

Oh.

OH.

There it was. Flowey watched, tucked in his corner, as a tall skeletal creature walked by with an easy grace, its slender claws clicking on the stone. It carried its long head high, with bright orange eye lights reflecting on the corridor walls. A red scarf was draped around its neck, some sort of brightly patterned sash or skirt wrapped around its hips, and a light satchel was slung from its tall dorsal spines. A long, whiplike tail trailed behind, flicking idly as it walked.

Flowey almost couldn't believe his eyes as he passed by, but there was no mistake. It was so familiar, but different. No wonder Sans hadn't been bothered by threats of Papyrus finding out what he was... because he was like that too. They were _both_ freaks who didn't want anyone finding out. A wide grin spread on Flowey's face, and he ducked out to go somewhere private--somewhere he could laugh freely.

Oh, this was all too _perfect!_ He had to do something with this--and already had the groundwork laid out. Now, to figure out just how to use it...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter, but we've found out what's *really* going on with the "beast" of Snowdin--it should be no surprise Flowey's behind it... but now he knows about Papyrus too. It may be time for a brotherly reunion... Stay tuned, and thanks for reading! ^^


	11. Dissonance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus is ready to go home. Undyne knows he can't.

Papyrus tapped his tail impatiently against the cavern floor. Undyne was running late again, and he was tired of waiting. Not just for her, today, but of all of this--holding himself back and being held back by his state. People missed him! He was tired of being cooped up! He hated not being able to help! Original body or not, he wanted to rejoin society, not hide from it. He wasn't sure he'd go by the same name--if it came to it, he was Parchment, Papyrus' distant but nearly identical and no less handsome cousin, coming to look after the house while he was away. Why he hadn't thought of such a brilliant idea sooner, he wasn't sure, and he'd almost be disappointed if he couldn't put it to use.

But he wanted to run it by Undyne first--a key part of it was her reintroducing him. No one would attack him if she were right there! He wasn't sure why anyone would attack him to begin with, but if things really were that bad... well, better to be safe. And then he could work to keep everyone safe, finally proving himself! He couldn't wait for Undyne to return so he could relay his flawless plan.

In the meantime, he'd busied himself with charcoal drawings or worked through the puzzles in the latest edition of the Snowdin newspaper--come now, they'd published that same puzzle six months ago! He did his best to not remember the answers and complete it, but _someone_ had dropped the ball. He released his frustrations by gleefully shredding the rest of the paper, then settled down to read one of his books until Undyne got done with her shift.

He perked up when her faint footsteps echoed up the passage, and hurried to pack up his things before waiting at the entrance eagerly. Today was the day! He would finally, maybe, actually think about not hiding anymore!

"Well hey punk, ready to go, huh?" Undyne said when she emerged, giving him the slightest noogie. He noted she looked tired.

"Yes! When we get back, I would like to discuss something--but, how goes the investigation? Any new developments?"

Undyne turned to head back, and he followed along as she spoke. "It's gotten worse. At first people were only getting a little scraped up, but a couple days ago someone lost half their HP to an attack. The weird thing is, no one's seen the perpetrator at all--not even their bullets so we can narrow down who it is..."

Papyrus furrowed his brow. "And you're sure I can't help?"

Undyne's face hardened. "Yes."

"But my observational skills are unparalleled! And in this form, I have a sense of smell at least as good as any of the dogs, and agility and speed and--"

"No," Undyne stated. "Not with the town on high alert for anything they don't recognize. Did you ever meet Gyftrot? They got attacked the other day by the bear family, and they're just kind of a recluse. I'm not letting you go out into that."

Papyrus grit his teeth. "But I'd be with you! And if I'm with you then I'm a friend! I wanted to wait until we were at your house but I have a plan--"

Undyne whirled on him. "NO. The Guard is handling this!"

"And I am going to be on the Guard!" he barked back, stamping his forefeet down.

Undyne froze, her expression tight before she spun to march down the hall. "You need more training."

Papyrus watched her for a moment, then leapt to keep up, steadying his breathing. "And this is a perfect hands-on experience! It's not a human, otherwise you'd be much more excited, so it must be some poor monster who's lost their way and needs guidance! And I am the best at guiding!"

"It's not that!"

"I'm confused. I can't help because I need more training... but that's not why I can't help?"

"Ugh, don't worry about it. Come on, let's just relax for the rest of the evening," Undyne huffed, marching off again. "We'll talk about it later."

Papyrus watched her go, a lot of thoughts he didn't like swirling in his skull. He wanted, more than anything, to trust Undyne. She was trying to look out for him, he knew that--but only a few days ago she had more or less called him a puppy, and now said he needed more training. She always said that, every time he'd asked. He was getting the sense... she didn't think he could handle the responsibility.

Well, he needed to prove he was responsible! Somehow! He needed to...

He needed to stop hiding. To stop holding himself back--though, he always would in battle. Always, even if Undyne never understood. He was always going to be himself, and if she didn't think that was good enough... then she was missing out. And he had to stand up for himself.

It was scary, though. What if she ended up not liking him, or didn't want to be his friend anymore? Then, his friend quantity would drop down... well, even closer to zero than it usually was. He didn't usually count Sans, but now... he didn't even have him. Lost in thought, he tripped over the uneven ground, and Undyne looked back at him.

"You okay?"

"Yes! I am, as always, great!"

"Hah, glad to hear it. Not much farther now."

They rounded the corner, and the sight of Undyne's house filled Papyrus with a sudden dread. He stopped in his tracks, staring at it as realization dawned on him. He'd traded one prison for another. What was the difference if he stayed in his house, Undyne's house, or the chamber he hid out in while she was gone? No matter how much room one had over the other... he was just doing the same thing over and over again.

"Papyrus?"

He bolted, running in the other direction. He couldn't do it anymore, he had to--

_Ping!_

Green soul magic locked him in place, and he whirled to snarl at her.

"Hey!" she barked, baring her own teeth. "Cut it out! What do you think you're doing?!"

Papyrus' voice wanted to come out rough--he was just so _frustrated_ \--but he shut his eyes and waited until he'd calmed down. He cleared his throat and put on a bright smile to address her. "I just remembered it's been a long time since I checked my profile on the Undernet. I probably have a lot of new likes and friend requests to accept!"

To say that Undyne didn't look convinced didn't seem to cover it.

"Plus! Maybe Sans is home! And I know no one's vacuumed since I left, do you really expect him to do it? The house is probably a total wreck!"

Somehow, her disbelief deepened.

"Please Undyne. I want to go home, just for a little bit. I don't care if anyone sees me anymore--your confidence training worked! No doubt because I was already confident!"

Now she just looked sad. She sighed, and pinched her brows. "I'm sorry Papyrus. I know you want to--and that's great you're not worried about people seeing you anymore! That's awesome! But... Like I told you. There's a lot going on in Snowdin right now, and it's dangerous for someone who won't..."

"Won't what?"

Undyne glowered, and looked away. "Nevermind."

"Won't what, Undyne? If there's something I need to do to for you to let me go, I'll do it! Just like I'll do anything to get into the Guard!"

Undyne grit her teeth, then shut her eye and jammed her spear into the ground with a grunt. "... That's the thing. You WON'T do it. It's the one thing I could never GET you to. You always had some--some reason against it, some dumb logic I could never let you go into battle with!"

Papyrus stood stiffly, and it had nothing to do with Undyne's spell. Was she saying what he thought she...?

"I'm sorry, Papyrus. I never told you, because I didn't want to upset you. But... I can never let you join the Royal Guard."

Papyrus stared at her. "What?"

She winced. "I can't. You're... you're too nice, too cheerful--even if your life depended on it, you'd... you'd never finish a human off. Even though you KNOW everyone is counting on that soul."

Papyrus quivered. "...We don't have to kill them."

"You want to be free, don't you?" Undyne shot with a snarl. "What do you think we should do, just--wait for however long it takes for them to die naturally? Keep everyone--all your friends, you, me, _the whole kingdom_ \--trapped down here for decades when we could have it instantly?!"

"I--" Papyrus halted--then buckled down. He was going to do this. "Yes. I'll make friends with them, and we'll have a very nice time together until their life comes to an end. If they really like us, they will be happy to know their soul will continue their very cool friend's happiness even after they're gone! Isn't that better than killing someone who doesn't even deserve it?"

Undyne growled. "They're a human! They ALL deserve it! Joining the Royal Guard is accepting that we are at WAR with humanity, NOT making friends with them! And THAT'S why I can't let you in. You'll... you'll just get torn to pieces. I'm sorry, Papyrus. But I can't."

Papyrus clenched his jaw. "...Okay."

Undyne blinked at him. "...Okay?"

"I should have seen it coming, really." He really wasn't surprised. "But it's fine! I'll just find something else to form my entire personality around!"

Undyne flinched. "Listen--you really are strong--don't think that I think you're not. But... you don't have the right mindset for the Guard. If it helps... we... can still do cooking lessons and spar together and stuff. I don't wanna stop being friends. But... we can't be coworkers too."

Well, at least he had that. "I'm glad! But! I really would like to go home... and since it's not a human, I don't need to worry about hurting anyone! So it's fine! Really!"

"It's NOT fine!" Undyne insisted, sweeping her hand. "I can't let you go when the WHOLE FREAKIN' TOWN is looking for--"

"Howdy!" Flowey popped up between them, and narrowly missed getting hit by a spear. "Hey!"

"Sorry," Undyne, said quickly. "Um. Can I help you?"

"Well, I'm sure sorry to interrupt, but I thought you should know... that guy you were looking for? Whatsisface, Sand?"

"Sans?!" Papyrus supplied, excitement barely contained.

"Yeah! I heard he's back!" Flowey continued. "Seems like he's looking for someone too... um... Paper?"

Papyrus uttered a weird, sharp chirp. He looked to Undyne desperately, and she looked from him back to Flowey.

"Uh. Alright, well, we'll check in on him shortly. Thank you."

"No problem! See ya!"

And just like that, he'd disappeared back into the earth. Papyrus vibrated in place. This had been an _incredibly_ welcome interruption.

"Please! There's no excuse now! We have to go, I have to see him!"

Undyne sighed and dropped her magic at last. "Yeah, okay. Let me get my armor on, and you have to stay by me at ALL T--"

But Papyrus was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus and Undyne have a great friendship--it's one of my favorites to write--but it isn't without it's flaws, and those came to a head this chapter. Here's hoping they get a chance to patch it up...
> 
> Short chapter, I know--but this is but part one of a double-update! The chapters take place consecutively, but we switch perspectives for the next one, something I didn't want to do mid-chapter.


	12. Mob Mentality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything goes absolutely right: everything goes wrong.

Flowey cackled as he raced towards Snowdin as fast as his roots would take him. It was time, it was finally time! He popped up in the town square, in view of the most people. "Hey! Everyone! You have to be ready, the beast is coming! It's--it's in Waterfall right now, I saw Undyne fighting it--but! Oh god, it was so powerful! I think it's coming here next, we have to be ready to fight it together!"

A worried murmur rose from the gathering crowd, and it parted for members of the Royal Guard--the Dogi.

"How long do we have?" Dogaressa questioned, fixing him with a firm gaze.

"I--I don't know, however long Undyne can hold it off. From what I saw... it might only about fifteen minutes before it gets here--but maybe even less!"

"That's still plenty of time. Not to worry, everyone," Dogamy called out, "we'll arrange our forces accordingly. Please take your children inside until it is safe."

"Anyone else who is ready and willing to fight, prepare yourself. We will not let this individual escape justice," Dogaressa added firmly. "We'll regroup at the clearing past Papyrus and Sans' house in ten minutes."

The crowd broke into an urgent bustle as everyone hurried to their families or the meeting place. Flowey slipped away to watch it from a distance, his work done. Excellent. The stage was set, and all he had to do now was put the other piece in place. A bit of scouring, and--oh good, Sans was still napping under his old sentry station. It was kind of funny how he still frequented places he had no reason to anymore. He tapped his snout to wake him up, and ignored the growl he got as Sans set eyes on him.

"Hey, no need for that. I wanna help you out!"

Sans eyed him suspiciously.

"Look, I even brought you a peace offering--here, your favorite!" Flowey said, offering up one of the burgers he still had. It was snatched from his vine almost instantly, and Flowey shook his head. He knew Sans hadn't been able to find much food lately, but he hadn't expected him to be so quick to accept his gift. Well, all the better. It was just a matter of stalling for time now.

"So hey, I know you've been looking for your brother--I've been looking too. And I'm pretty good at finding stuff, so it was weird when it seemed like he wasn't anywhere."

Sans still watched him warily, but sighed.

"Yeah, I know. So color me surprised when I heard where he's been this whole time!"

Sans perked up, tilting his head at him.

"He's been with Undyne! It turns out she knows of some secret caverns and stuff too, and he's been hanging out there. But I also heard... that he's thinking of coming back soon--maybe even today!"

Sans narrowed his eyes and uttered a short, questioning grunt.

"Yeah! I don't know when, but you might wanna head back soon so you can meet him when he arrives. You'd like that, right?"

Sans rumbled, and looked toward town. Flowey wasn't sure if he still--oh, there was the flicker, and Sans was gone. Alright, that would have to do--he grinned. He burrowed back toward town as quickly as his roots could take him, and popped up in the trees to the side of the road to wait. A decent crowd had already lined up, headed by the Guard. Shouts urged stragglers to join the ranks, and he wondered if Sans could hear them from his house.

And then--a far louder cry as Papyrus appeared, plowing through the snow toward the gathered townsfolk. He looked happy to see them at first, expecting them to be a welcoming party. But as he got closer and realized their expressions were all dour, he slowed--and the first attack smacked into him, a heavy icicle bullet. He staggered with a yelp, and the crowd cheered. And then the rest attacked too.

Papyrus tried to shield himself, but there were too many projectiles coming from too many angles. He went down with a shriek, and Flowey cackled. Unless something happened, it'd be only moments until Papyrus was--

A line of bones stabbed up through the crowd's feet, knocking them back. Flowey knew that attack. That was his cue.

"Oh god, there's TWO of them!" he screamed above the confusion, using someone else's voice to avoid suspicion.

A beam of light cut through the crowd, leaving screams and scorch marks in its wake, and then another seared from another angle, sowing even more confusion. Several people fled--this was far more than they'd signed up for, and Flowey cackled gleefully--fools and cowards and idiots, all of them! He delighted in watching them squirm and mill and scramble while they tried to defend their worthless lives as something tore through their ranks. Then, finally something visible--a white blur tackled one of the bears and snapped its heavy jaws around the unfortunate monster's arm, and he screamed as he fell back.

But then something blue flashed within the white blur's ribcage, and it was yanked off and slammed into the clearing with a dull thud. It went still.

Flowey frowned, and looked up. Papyrus was sitting, one hand extended and trembling, tears trailing from his sockets. Realizing everyone was looking at him, he started--then lunged forward, grasping his brother's spine in his jaws and turning tail to flee into the trees. Dogamy called orders for anyone able to fight to go after them, and a small party took off. Flowey watched them go knowing they'd never catch them, but stayed put himself. Undyne had finally arrived. She was jogging up looking thoroughly concerned, and he wanted to see what her reaction would be. Dogaressa approached her, and explained what had transpired.

Her fury was spectacular.

The anguished howl that tore from her throat echoed from the cavern walls, and a tree splintered on contact with a spear thrown in her outburst. Another cracked when she punched it, and it was several minutes before anyone felt they could approach her. She whirled on them, her voice clear even from where Flowey hid.

"This is EXACTLY what I was afraid of--BUT!" she bellowed, "who told you these things?! Who was it? I'm going to make them SUFFER!"

"I-it w-was a flower," one of the townsfolk offered timidly. "A little yellow flower that could talk."

There was a moment's silence.

"HE. IS. DEAD!" Undyne roared. "I want everyone looking for him. He is NOT to be trusted, the lying, manipulating little--I WANT HIM DEAD!"

"B-but Undyne," Dogaressa piped up, "we have to follow due process. What has this flower even done?"

Undyne could barely bring herself to speak. "Those monsters... were Sans and Papyrus. I know it was Papyrus, and the other--I don't know, I don't know! It had to be Sans, somehow--but! That's NOT THE POINT! The POINT is, that flower told us Sans was back, looking for Papyrus, and then he apparently told you Papyrus was the beast and to attack him. For some reason... he wanted this mess to happen!"

There were murmurs through what remained of the crowd.

"I don't have time to deal with you all, so go home, patch yourselves up, and think about what you've done. Guard, we'll talk later. Dismissed."

Flowey giggled. What a _fun_ bit of chaos that had been. He was tempted to just reset now, but he kind of wanted to see this all play out to the very end. Would the brothers ever come back? Who knew. What would happen if they did? What would happen if they didn't? It was all so interesting. He'd call today a success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here's the next chapter just because the last one was a little short all by itself.
> 
> Flowey is an evil, evil little flower.


	13. Survival Instinct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The brothers have lost everything but each other–-but that’s all they ever started with.

"Brother, I'm so sorry, please forgive me," Papyrus whimpered, fussing over Sans' still form. He'd found a hollow under a massive old tree deep in the distant forests, and hoped he'd covered his tracks well enough. Their future was more uncertain than ever, but one thing was: they could never be seen again.

He sent what energy he could spare to his brother, then curled around him and shivered, still horrified. Had that been a trap laid by Flowey? Even if it was, it didn't matter. They could only wait until he decided to reset, and then all of this would be like a bad dream. But until then...

"Wake up Sans, please, I'm sorry I had to do that," he murmured, snout clattering against his brother's as he tried to nuzzle him--but he shook too much to be comforting. Part of him was screaming that he'd killed him, killed his only family, but another part howled back, clinging to the fact Sans hadn't turned to dust as proof that he hadn't. It was all horrible.

Just when things had seemed to be looking up. Sure, he'd been quarreling with Undyne, but...

Well, it didn't matter anymore. They would both die out here. There was no food. Nothing but wild, non-magical animals that had somehow established themselves down here. Maybe they could eat those after all...? That would be horrible too, no--he'd vowed to never hurt a living creature that way, and the thought of trying to eat such a thing made his non-existent stomach turn. But he was little better than an animal himself now. He had no friends, no home, even the scarf and sash he'd been wearing had shorn off in the attack. There was no point in clinging to monster society when he'd never belonged from the start--and certainly couldn't belong to it now. Everyone hated them.

"You were right, Sans," he rasped, laying his head down. "You knew it all along. We really are just beasts."

Quietly, he cried, mourning all the things he'd once been, and wouldn't be again. At least, not in this timeline.

It was some time later when he felt like moving again. Sans was still asleep, and he sent him a bit more healing magic before stretching. His head still ached where it had been struck by an attack, but his own nap had helped restore at least a little of his energy. It was just enough that he felt up for taking stock of their surroundings. He emerged from the hollow and gazed up at the massive trees, and huffed a sigh.

He had plenty of room to run now.

He set off at a slow walk, head held low as he thought. What a mess. A mess he couldn't clean up either--he didn't even know where to start. Undyne had been right--she'd warned him, told him time and again the town was on high alert. But he'd wanted to see Sans again so badly...

She was right about him, too. He was too nice for the Royal Guard. His creator had said something similar... Not long after he'd realized he was being trained to destroy something alive, not just doing fun puzzles or proving how strong he was. And that felt... wrong. He couldn't explain why, only that... it didn't make sense. Maybe the humans were bad, but... if killing was what made them bad, didn't killing them make a monster bad? What if a human didn't want to kill a monster for some reason? Even if humans were mostly evil, couldn't some be good? So many questions had kept him awake at night, but rather than answer them, his creator had gotten really mad when he'd brought it up and scolded him for being foolish.

It wasn't so different from Undyne.

Maybe he was wrong about everything. He'd thought he could get his old life back. He'd thought he could join the Royal Guard. He'd thought the townspeople wouldn't hurt him. He'd thought he could handle all of this on his own. He thought he'd never be this... creature, again.

Papyrus gave a low moan. Without the right kinds of stimulation, he'd lose his focus soon enough. He'd especially miss his words, but it was all frivolous, unnecessary, just as his creator had decided. He didn't have anyone he needed to talk with anymore anyway. His more complex thinking skills were superfluous after all--instinct would suffice for the life he'd lead now. However long it lasted...

Well... he'd be the best he could be of whatever he was, and currently, that was a creature equipped with sharp senses, cunning, and power. From now on, his only concern would be using those qualities--and they were very good qualities indeed--to keep himself and his family alive. That had always mattered most. The best use of his time now was getting to know the lay of the land, learning if there were any resources out here that might let them survive.

An odd shape in the snow interrupted his thoughts--oh, a skeletal footprint. Had he been walking in circles...? No, it was a hand print, and the digits were heavier with longer claws--though, still small compared to his own hand. It was Sans'...? There were more scattered around--but compared to his tracks, they looked old. Sans had been out here? Papyrus hummed to himself, and turned to head back to their den. He'd ask him about it when he woke up.

He was relieved to see he'd moved in his sleep--he wasn't gone. Papyrus squawked at him and nudged his side, and tried again when there was no reply. With an unhappy rumble, Sans finally woke up--only to stare when he realized it was Papyrus that had disturbed him. And then he tackled him, and they wrested and rolled like they had as youngsters, trilling and cackling happily until Sans was too tired to keep playing. They curled up together in a happy pile, and Sans' panting eventually slowed back to the familiar sound of his snore. Papyrus wasn't sure how, but maybe--as long as they were together--they'd be okay.

He got up the next day still feeling worn, but was glad to see Sans seemed to be resting easily. He stretched, flexing his limbs before setting off to see what he could find. The den lay at the edge of a small clearing; something told him to head to a nearby tree and reach as high as he could to dig long scrapes into the bark with his claws. There. This space belonged to him now. Satisfied, he turned to trot along the clearing's edge, traveling in the opposite direction from where he'd wandered yesterday to see if there was anything of use.

Mostly, there were more trees, and more snow. But a scent--then a sound--told him there was a river, and if he remembered anything about Waterfall it was that you could sometimes find good things in running water. Following his nose led him to it--a rush of icy water that tumbled over well-worn boulders. There didn't seem to be anything useful here, but maybe if he followed along the bank...

As he walked, Papyrus felt like his troubles were slipping farther and farther away. In some sense, it was literal--he knew the town he'd once called home was quite a distance away now. But here, he didn't have to worry about anyone seeing him, or caring what he was. It was lonely, but he still had his brother--and that was all he'd had back in the lab, right? Maybe he'd spent too much time trying to fit in; out here, he could just be himself, no matter what that was. The only pressure on him now was to keep himself and his brother fed. And in a way... that was nice.

He continued scavenging, poking and digging at the few scraps of trash that had managed to wash up, but the river ended up holding nothing of particular use. Tired and disappointed, Papyrus scrabbled up a stony outcrop bordering the water and almost barreled into a dense clump of thorny bushes. He danced back, eyeing the prickly overgrowth warily--but noticed something bright. Berries? He sniffed, cautiously extending his neck. They smelled sweet... what were wild berries doing way out here? Could he eat them? Only one way to find out, but if he could, then maybe finding food out here would be easier than he'd thought. He sniffed again, then nipped one from the branch... and could taste it, feel it restore a little of his health where non-magical food would have done nothing.

It was good!

Elated, Papyrus hooted victoriously, running around the brush before making breakfast of it, carefully stripping the berries from their stalks until he'd had enough. He found another branch laden with fruit and set on it with his teeth, chewing until it snapped--these were for his brother. Picking it up, he set off for home at a quick trot with his prize, energy and hopes restored.

He could do this. They'd survive--he'd make sure of it. That's what he'd been made to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was fun imagining the sort of landscape the uninhabited parts of Snowdin's forest might be like, and what Papyrus might find when he goes to forage; remote forests and rivers framed by stony outcrops are some of my favorite places aesthetically, so naturally that's the setting I pictured. It's hard to say just how much food there is in the wild places of the Underground, so while Papyrus may have had some good fortune, who knows how long it'll last...
> 
> I also hope you guys are enjoying the hapter pictures--I've been adding them to the tumblr version from the start, but they'll be added here too from now on. As always, thanks for reading! ^^


	14. Undaunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Undyne's the heroine who never gives up--she's not about to lose that title now.

The search parties had mostly given up after only a few weeks, but Undyne wouldn't. She couldn't, not after the months of trouble her friends had been put through. She didn't care if she lost her place as captain, she didn't care what it meant for her career--two monsters under her watch had been treated horribly after suffering long enough already, and she couldn't rest until she knew for sure what had befallen them. Asgore had been understanding when she'd explained the situation, but others might talk... Well, she'd let 'em. If they had a problem with how she spent her time, they could take it up with her--so far, no one had.

Dressed in a heavy coat to ward off the cold, most of Undyne's days the last month had been spent scouring the wilderness. She worked the forest systematically, keeping track of how much ground she'd covered and which direction hadn't been explored. She drew on everything she knew, every instinct and shred of knowledge and ounce of determination, and kept going. They _had_ to be out here somewhere.

She crested a low hill, and hooted triumphantly--there! Clear as a pond in Waterfall, a trackway. They were old, but fresher than any of the ones around town--and she didn't know of anyone or anything else that would leave such tracks. Four digits in front, three in back, thin and always tipped by claws--the only thing that came close were the various icedrakes, but they were bipeds. As long as she followed these, she'd find something--she was sure of it. She powered forward, legs carrying her faster and faster until she was almost running--

Something impacted her. She pitched forward with a grunt, landing roughly in loose brush, only to be hauled up by her backpack and shaken. She dropped roughly to the ground, and yelped as her arm was pinned and her assailant tried to pull the backpack off again. She rolled and kicked out to knock her attacker's leg from under them, and glimpsed that not only was said leg made of bone, it was broken.

Her strike connected. The creature shrieked and darted off, pausing briefly a few yards away to stare at her hollowly with orange eyes. Then it dashed off again, and Undyne scrambled to pursue. She'd found something alright, and it made her soul twist painfully.

"Papyrus! Wait! I wanna help!"

She chased after him, weaving through the brush and trees breathlessly; even with an injured arm he was easily outpacing her and it wasn't long before she'd lost sight of him. She continued following his tracks--but the new trail petered out by going off a cliff. She skidded to a halt, panting; Undyne knew Papyrus had incredible jumping abilities so he hadn't just fallen however far down that was. She'd lost him. She grit her teeth, then punched the nearest tree in frustration. Chunks of snow rained from its branches, smattering around her with little splats--the only sound aside from her ragged breathing. She'd been so close...! If she'd gotten in range she could have used a green attack, and then... well. It didn't matter now--he'd gotten away. But her frown softened as a thought occurred to her. At least she knew he was alive.

But...

He'd attacked her, and though they'd stared at one another, he hadn't seemed to recognize her at all. She'd seen only the wary gaze of an animal in those orange lights. He'd slipped... and it seemed worse this time. Back when he'd pounced on her in the hidden cave, he at least knew she was a friend and was playing with her. She rotated her arm, feeling out the lingering soreness from the scuffle--this time, he'd held back, but not much. She had to find him again, and break him out of this like she said she would. She made a face--hopefully it wouldn't involve any actual breaking.

She had to find him again, and Sans, but it was getting late and she wasn't prepared for a night in the forest. She glanced back up, looking out over the valley black with thick, hardy evergreens and cut by a rushing river. They were out there, somewhere...

She stomped her foot with a grunt, and shouted as loud as she could. "Papyrus! I'm coming back tomorrow! Don't be late, y'hear me?! And bring your lazy excuse for a brother too, got it?!"

She glared, listening to her words echo and hoping, somehow, she'd hear a reply. But it was getting too cold. She turned and retraced her steps until she finally came back to the road. After everything that had happened, the rest of the journey to get home felt so long... maybe she'd just stay at the Snowed Inn again. It was always clean and cozy, and they had the _best_ cinnamon buns. Yeah. That sounded relaxing. She could use the peace and quiet to come up with a gameplan that wasn't just 'wander in the woods until she found her friend'. She needed to do better than that. Papyrus--whether he knew it or not anymore--was counting on her.

But she'd done everything she could today--after a full day in it, the cold was really biting at her scales. She grit her teeth and pulled her coat tighter against the icy breeze. Just a bit farther...! She sighed with relief when the warm lights of town finally poked through the trees. She'd take Snowdin's cold over Hotland any day, but the thought of taking a hot shower before snuggling under cozy blankets sounded like the nicest thing right now.

Once she'd gotten settled into her room for the night, she called Alphys.

"O-oh, hello, C-Captain Undyne," she stammered on the other end of the line, and Undyne felt her heart do little flips.

"Hey Doctor Alphys! Um, I was wondering... if... er, if you could help me with something," she started--more awkwardly than she wanted it to sound, ugh. "I've uh--I've got a case I'm working on and--well--I was hoping you--um--"

"I-I'd love to!" Alphys said quickly, and there was the sound of ruffling papers. "It's th-the case of the b-beast, right? Only, it wasn't a beast it was the skeleton brothers--I had no idea transforming monsters were real, it's just like this show I've been watching where it turns out the main character's best friends are really--WHOOPS spoilers ha ha ha... Um... Is it... that case?"

Undyne coughed. "Yeah. I'm... trying to find them. I saw Papyrus today."

"O-oh! Th-that's good! ... Right?"

Undyne sighed. "Yeah, but... it was like he didn't recognize me at all."

"O-oh..."

"Yeah. I've seen him do this, where he acts... different. More like a wild animal, I guess... He kinda reminds me of the dogs, but then when he stretches it's more like a cat, and then if he's watching something it's kinda like a bird--anyway, the point is, he stops acting like Papyrus. I mean, you can still tell it's him in there, but... I've been able to snap him out of it before, but this time... I dunno. He seems like... like he's really in deep."

"Hmm..." Alphys was quiet as she thought; it took a while, but Undyne didn't mind--she was enjoying just having her on the phone.

"W-well," she finally started, and it sounded like she adjusted her glasses. "Based on what little information you gave me, I can only guess so much, b-but... um, I only have like one episode of this show, b-but, one of the characters loses his memories, and seems like a totally different person until his friends spend enough time talking about things they all did together. I don't know if that would really work--i-it's kind of silly, saying it out l-loud now, um, nevermind--"'

"No! No, I think that might be exactly it," Undyne said quickly; of _course_ it was something obvious like that! Man, Alphys really had a problem with confidence sometimes--she had the best ideas. "I was just gonna go out and like, tackle him, but now I think I should do that... AND tell him about all the other times I have too!"

Alphys managed a weak laugh. "Th-that... seems like it's worth a shot. T-tell me if it works, okay?"

"Of course! Thank you so much--um, I might ask you for more help again soon, okay? Actually... Back when he was... still in town, Papyrus seemed really bothered by the fact he was stuck in his beast form. You think you could, I dunno, rig up some science thing to scan his magic and see if something's going on with it?"

"I-I could certainly try," Alphys replied, and Undyne heard a sound like she was tapping her chin. "I wish I could have looked into it before they transformed so I'd have a baseline to compare it to, b-but, I guess I'll have to use regular monsters as a control... I-if their bodies can change so drastically, I can only imagine what their souls are doing, and that could explain why their mental states change as well... I'll have to see what the literature says about endomagical structure and regulation... O-oh, sorry, I'm rambling--you're probably busy, that was probably really boring--"

Undyne scoffed. "I mean, I can't exactly weigh in, but I love when you talk science stuff. Now, when you get into jargon, then I'm really lost."

She loved when she talked any stuff, but science was a topic Alphys could happily discuss at length. Even if she didn't understand, Undyne could listen to her for hours. She just liked seeing Alphys happy.

"Y-yeah, ha ha... I don't know enough about this to get into any jargon yet, b-but trust me, there's gonna be jargon eventually."

"There always is," Undyne teased, then turned serious. "Well hey, listen--I'm really glad you want to help. These guys have been trying to deal with it on their own this whole time, and... needless to say it hasn't worked out. I'll do everything I can, but... I think we need someone who can really look into this once I get them back."

"Yeah... I-I... I'll do my best," Alphys replied quietly. "Let me know when... when you find them."

"Oh yeah, for sure. So, uh... cool. Uh. Talk to you later....?"

"Yeah! O-oh, um, okay, bye!"

She hung up, and rolled onto her back. Alphys was so smart--such an obvious solution to helping the brothers remember themselves hadn't even crossed Undyne's mind. She'd give it a shot for sure. And then, once they were back, Alphys could use science to help them figure out what was up with them being stuck... It was nice to feel like maybe things might work out. Undyne had tried not to be hard on herself, but she felt like she'd let the brothers down.

Maybe she should have let Papyrus help with the investigation after all, before things had gotten so out of hand that the townsfolk were ready to attack on sight. But it was too late--she had to face this head-on and not get bogged down with regrets. She'd take Alphys' advice and try getting through to her friends tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A change in perspective for this chapter! I've probably said it before, but Undyne's fun to write; it was also nice to bring Alphys into the story as well--this won't be the last time we hear from her ^^
> 
> As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you look forward to the next chapter!


	15. Wild Type

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's survived this long. But there's not much to scavenge in the depths of Snowdin's forest. He can only hope something turns up... and boy, will it.

He stretched, pulling the magic back out to his extremities after a night curled up, working his claws into the soft earth and yawning widely. He shook any remaining stiffness out with a clatter, and ignored a painful twinge in his leg. He rubbed at it with his snout, soothing the ache, but he had a task at hand. An old injury couldn't interfere. He dug into the dry leaves that served as their bedding and heaped a little bit more over his brother, then stepped out from the den.

He sniffed the air--clean snow, sharp pine, musty leaves and earth from the hollow behind--nothing new. Nothing dangerous. It was safe to forage. He stretched again, rolled around in the snow for a bit, then set out.

He wove through evergreen brush and fallen branches along a well-worn path. Navigating down a rockfall with careful leaps, he landed on the stony banks of the river, loose cobbles clacking underfoot. Putting his nose to work, he sniffed along the river's edge, hopeful. It was rare, but he'd once found discarded food along here... maybe there'd be more today.

Oh! What was that? Not food, but there was something interesting caught on a branch in the water. He waded in and pulled at it with his jaws until it came free--a piece of something soft. This would be nice to lay on. He got it back on land and shook it out, then blinked... the thing was wet, and wet things froze, and this thing would be useless frozen. He needed to do something to stop that... he needed heat. Oh! He had heat! He laid the piece out flat and went over it with his beam, the power set low to dry it with a careful precision. When it wasn't damp anymore, he picked it up, head held high as he avoiding snags and rough terrain. He'd solved the puzzle--he was clever, he was good.

He reached the den and hooted as he entered, his latest prize in his jaws. He scraped out the most deteriorated of the leaf litter, then fussed with the soft thing to get it just right. It would be a nice surprise for his brother when he woke up. Content with his final arrangement, he chirped his satisfaction before heading back out. He still had to find food. Loping between the trees, he struck off towards the river again.

But his resources were dwindling, and he hadn't been able to find food for a while now. No berries anymore, and the mushrooms from the warm part of the river were gone too. He couldn't take from the farms--he'd done that once and it made him feel so bad the memory still made him cringe. It was all the food he could possibly need, but he couldn't take what wasn't his. His best hope was something discarded... or...

A shout.

He froze and perked up, head swiveling in the direction the sound had come from. He waited--the sound came again, from a slightly different spot. The voice's owner was moving, quickly. He sniffed the air--nothing yet. Only sound. He tilted his head from side to side, then slowly wove it back and forth, trying to hone in.

There were hardly ever noises out here--much less a voice. It sounded like the scary lady from yesterday... She'd had food. He'd smelled it, had tried to get it... maybe she'd have it again today. He'd get it for sure this time. It was worth the risk.

The shouting came again, and he crouched to slink through the sparse undergrowth towards it. His bones blended in with the white snow, and he'd gotten very good at making only the softest sounds. This would be easy. Keeping a steady pace, it wasn't long before he was much closer to his target. There was still no scent to follow, but he caught a glimpse of movement between the trees, enough to see it was the lady from before. He changed his trajectory a little so he'd sneak up behind her.

There was a familiar feeling...

He caught the scent of food, and refocused. His brother was counting on him... This time, he'd use magic. Just until she was too tired to fight... There she was, walking quickly, looking everywhere. He crouched lower. He'd have to be very careful... He crept along as fast as he dared, until--now!

A line of bones jabbed from the ground before her, and she skipped back--another row rose behind her, and she whirled to see him leaping from the brush. She looked... happy...?

"Papyrus!"

He squinted. That was--how did she know his name? She'd said other things, but his name had stuck out... Why would she know it? He shut his eyes and uttered a short growl--he had to focus! He sent a row of bones at her, but she leapt over them easily... Oh right! He had to do the other thing! Next turn. He paid full attention to what she was doing--he had to be ready.

"Look, usually I'm all for a workout, but I dunno if you are. You look... kinda beat, man. So, JUST this once, I'm gonna go easy on you."

So many words--

The sharp ping of soul magic surprised him. He couldn't move, and the first spear took him off-guard. But he blocked the next, and a third, easily, tail lashing as he navigated this challenge. It felt familiar too...

But it was his turn now. He cast his special magic and turned the scary lady blue, then sent a number of bones at her. But she dodged those too, like she'd seen this before... His turn wasn't over yet--he braced himself and let a beam of magic loose from his jaws, catching her by surprise. Ha! That did the trick. He could win.

She picked herself up, rubbing her leg where his attack had connected. "C'mon Papyrus, it's me--your friend Undyne. You remember us hanging out, right? We used to do it all the time!"

She gave him a big grin, and he couldn't shake the feeling... No, he didn't want the memories to wake up. He knew they were painful, and pain was bad, so he shouldn't think about them. He shut his eyes and attacked again. He needed to win.

She grunted as a bone connected, then returned with her own attack. "We used to spar all the time too--you think I can't handle anything you dish out?!"

He was green again--and ready for the incoming spears. But then he wasn't, his mind foggy with tired, and Undyne threw another he wasn't prepared for--it hit his bad leg. He yelped--okay, nope, time to leave, get away!

"Wait!"

He was still green, and no amount of writhing let him budge. He spun to face his opponent and growled, jaws clattering. He didn't want to fight anymore, but if he had to--!

The lady wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He was too surprised to do anything, even as the lady lifted him up. _This really was familiar...!_

"NGGGAAAAAAHHHHH! FRIENDSHIP SUPLEX!"

Stunned, he laid helplessly as she rolled from under him and put him in a headlock.

"IF YOU DON'T REMEMBER, I'LL NOOGIE THOSE MEMORIES RIGHT BACK INTO THAT THICK SKULL OF YOURS! I'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET YOU BACK ALL THE WAY, PAPYRUS!"

He... he could almost...! _This was so familiar--_

Suddenly--!

He remembered bad cooking lessons and fire and laughter. He remembered snow wrestling. He remembered sparring sessions that left them both winded but exuberant. He remembered her.

He remembered all the trouble she'd went through to help him ever since this whole mess had started, and that their last conversation had been an argument. All the same... he'd missed her. He whined, and shoved his head into her side in apology, nearly bowling her over.

"Hey, shh, it's okay. I'm--I'm glad that wor--I'm glad you're back," Undyne said. Her voice sounded thick. "Here, we both landed some good hits. I didn't know if you've been getting much to eat, so I brought sandwiches."

At the mention of food Papyrus scrambled to his feet--but his body seemed to remember just how tired he really was, and he stumbled right back down with a whimper. Undyne eyed him with concern.

"Dude, I didn't hit you that much, are you--" She paused to cast a quick check, and frowned. "Gotcha. You've been out here a while after all... even longer than that first time you ran away. You must've been finding something to last this long, but... Here. It's nothing fancy, but I don't think that matters."

She dug into her backpack and pulled out a sandwich, and Papyrus almost lost himself again as he was overcome with hunger. He nearly snatched the sandwich out of Undyne's hand before she could unwrap it, and it was gone in a snap once she'd handed it over. He'd never been particularly food-motivated, but that was before he'd been deprived of it for so long.

"Whoa dude, take it easy. Try to enjoy this one, okay?" Undyne teased as she offered another. "I have a couple more, but they're for Sans... Um... he's still... around, right?"

Papyrus blinked, and nodded quickly before going back to tearing off chunks of the second sandwich and wolfing them down. He almost felt bad he wasn't saving it for Sans, but Undyne said she had more--his brother would get his share eventually. He needed to take care of himself if he was going to take care of anyone else--and the sandwich tasted really, _really_ good compared to the various mushrooms and refuse he'd been scavenging from.

"Y'know I asked you to bring him... 'Course, maybe you couldn't. Eh, I bet he's just as lazy as he always is, huh?"

Papyrus looked aside and gave a short huff. That was... one way to put it. Undyne's smile faded as she studied his expression.

"Well, no matter what, we'll get him taken care of too. I've got a lot to tell you guys. Feeling better?"

Papyrus finished off his meal and nodded, offering a happy cluck. He wasn't sure he could get his voice working again--at least, not yet. But Undyne didn't seem to mind, and patted his shoulder heartily.

"Alright! If you're ready... let's go see him, huh?"

Papyrus wearily got to his feet and shook himself out. Sans probably wouldn't be happy about this... but then... he hadn't been happy for a long time. The initial joy of seeing each other again hadn't lasted after their new reality set in.

Papyrus turned towards their home of the last... however long it'd been, and trilled at Undyne. She nodded and slung her pack over her shoulders, ready to go. Without further ado, Papyrus lead the way at an easy lope while Undyne jogged behind him. Aside from their footfalls, it was utterly silent.

Ah, there was the tree he'd marked with his claws--he bugled a call to announce his arrival, and added a couple of hoots to relay there was something new. He doubted it would work, but... oh, that's what he could say--he uttered a trill to indicate food. That would at least wake his brother up.

Before they got much closer, he slowed down and turned to face Undyne. She slowed accordingly, looking puzzled, and he clumsily raised a paw and clapped it on her shoulder while giving her a stern look. He could only hope his meaning got across...

"You want me to stay here?"

He nodded, bouncing in place before turning to approach the den they'd made. He poked his head into the dark--Sans hadn't moved since he'd left, but at his entrance he blinked an eye open to look at him. Papyrus trilled again, nuzzling him before shoving his snout against his brother's sternum to push him up. Sans offered a low grumble and no effort to support himself; Papyrus growled back and pushed harder. When it was clear Sans simply refused to move, Papyrus picked him up by the nape and dragged him out.

Sans' initial reaction to Undyne was to hiss and try to back away, but Papyrus caught him by the back spines before he could shuffle further. He cooed at him, and gave another food-trill; on her part, Undyne sat and did her best to look friendly. Sans uttered a few more wary growls--but Papyrus wasn't surprised when his brother's eyelids lowered, and he sank back to the ground. Sans' reactions to anything these days was... short-lived, to say the least.

"Hey Sans," Undyne greeted. "I'm glad to see you're alive too, y'know?"

Sans just watched her from lidded eyes.

"You've gotta be hungry, so--I know it's not Grillby's, but I brought sandwiches."

Papyrus nudged his brother again, then trotted over to Undyne and picked up the offered food; as much as he still wanted it for himself, Sans really needed it. He placed the sandwich by his brother's jaws, and Sans gave it a tentative sniff. He rolled his head over and took a bite.... And that was it. Papyrus prodded him with a whine, but Sans only gave a raspy sigh and turned away.

Where Papyrus had become more motivated to find food and eat it... it seemed the opposite had happened to his brother. He wasn't interested in it... He wasn't interested in much of anything. Too much had happened.

Papyrus looked up at Undyne sadly, flicking his tail. He didn't know what to do to make his brother feel better anymore. Undyne studied them both and frowned.

"How long's he been like this?"

Papyrus thought for a moment how he could convey... He had no idea how much time had passed while they'd been out here, but... oh! He carefully drew a line in the snow, then a tick mark near one end and pawed at it.

"Uh... Oh... Since pretty much the start, huh?"

He nodded.

"Geez..."

Sans huffed a sigh behind them.

"Well, listen... You guys don't have to live out here. I know the last time you were around other monsters, they were afraid of you..." Undyne began. "But, there's a reason for that, and it has NOTHING to do with anything you guys did or what you look like. You need to know that."

Papyrus tilted his head. That couldn't be right--they were too dangerous, too scary to be around monsters. As soon as they'd been seen, they'd been attacked. He whined, looking away. They had to stay out here--it was better this way.

Undyne frowned. "After you guys ran away, we learned the truth. This flower--it looks just like a golden flower, the same kind the king grows--but, it can talk. And... it lied to everyone. It told the townsfolk you guys were dangerous, and that they should attack if they saw you."

Papyrus tilted his head again. Hadn't they talked to that golden flower...? About...

A snarl tore from Sans' jaws, and Papyrus whirled to see him rising from the snow, eyes wild and tail lashing. Papyrus backed away with a whine--the last time he'd seen his brother this angry, they'd been facing down their creator. Still growling, Sans' gaze darted as though the flower might appear at any second--and made the others jump when he suddenly fired a beam at a stick waving in the breeze. Panting, he twitched at any sign of movement--a blade of dry grass bobbed, and was instantly evaporated. A dry pine needle dropped and was scorched into oblivion before it hit the ground. Undyne called his name and raised her hand to placate him--

Papyrus leapt in front of her, taking the brunt of the blast. It couldn't do much to him, and maybe it wouldn't have done anything to Undyne either, but he didn't want her getting hurt. And it got Sans to stop.

Sans stared at him, steam trailing away from his jaws as he panted. His eyes winked out, and he sank down with a low moan. Papyrus loped over, warbling softly to show he was okay. Sans moaned again, looking up at him mournfully, and Papyrus nuzzled his snout. He'd forgiven him for this already, just as he'd forgiven the broken arm. It wasn't Sans' fault so many bad things had happened to him.

"Is he okay...?"

Papyrus looked up and chirped, waving his tail. His brother was okay, just sad and scared.

"That's good. I don't blame him for being so mad. Honestly? When I found out what that flower did? I destroyed a whole tree. We haven't found him yet, but, maybe once you guys are healed up you can help us look for him so he can face justice."

Papyrus made an uncertain groan. Somehow, he knew it wouldn't be so easy.

"But... we can deal with it later," Undyne continued. "Let's get you guys back home, huh?"

Papyrus lashed his tail. He was still scared, and knew Sans would be too. Was it really okay...?"

"Listen, if nothing else--I'll be right beside you, and won't let ANYTHING bad happen. If anyone even TRIES to start something, they're going to be facing ME before they can get near you guys. Heh... you know Papyrus, that was your idea. Guess I should've listened to you."

Papyrus blinked. He didn't remember that idea, but Undyne was saying she should have listened to him? _He'd_ had a good idea? And she thought so?! He bounced, prancing around and chattering proudly, and Undyne laughed.

"Yeah yeah, you were right. If we wanna get back in time for dinner though, we better start now. You guys managed to get pretty far out here, so I'm afraid we've got a ways to go."

Papyrus hooted in agreement before turning to look at his brother, who was still laying in the snow. He gave an inquisitive chirp, then padded over and nuzzled him. Sans only rasped a sigh, and Papyrus' spirits sank. Didn't he want to go home? He nudged him, then thought--maybe he just didn't have the strength--and bounded over to pick up the unfinished sandwich and offered it to him again.

But Sans weakly turned away.

"I can just carry him," Undyne offered, and Papyrus whined. He wasn't sure he'd let her...

But Undyne stood and walked over, rolling her shoulders as she thought how best to go about this. She bent, wedging her hands under Sans' ribcage and hips, and much to Papyrus' surprise lifted him without complaint or protest. She draped him across her shoulders, and he hung limp--it seemed he really had given up. Undyne did her best to brace him, then turned.

"See? Easy. He doesn't even weigh like, anything. Also, I guess you can have the rest of that," she said wincingly, indicating the sandwich he still had in his jaws. "I've still got another in case Sans decides he's hungry on the way, and we'll be getting back to civilization soon enough. If there's anything you wanna bring with, you better grab that too."

Papyrus thought, then knocked his head back to finish the sandwich off before heading to the den. He didn't think there was anything, but... He dug through the leaf litter a bit, but all that remained was the scrap of fabric he'd found earlier and a few old food wrappers he'd scavenged. Nothing he needed. He popped back out, giving a short bark to indicate he was ready, and Undyne grinned.

"Alright you guys, let's head home."

Papyrus needed no further encouragement, happily following her as she retraced her path back to Snowdin. Snowdin! He'd be seeing it again! His real house, his things--he'd spent too long trapped inside it once, but now he just wanted to curl up in his own bed, play with his action figures, read his puzzle books again. And if Undyne was right, then he'd even get to see his neighbors and there'd be no screaming, or attacking, or fear or panic or hurt or--

Undyne looked back at him, having noticed his bones rattling. "Everything okay, punk?"

He snapped his head up and chirped. Yes! He was alright, those nerves wouldn't get the best of him. He was a very brave skeleton.

They finally set foot on a road, and Papyrus froze. The last time he'd been on a road, he'd... Focused on making her way forward, it took Undyne a little while to notice the lack of footsteps behind her. But she finally did, and turned.

"Papyrus...? Oh." She made her way back to him. "Still nervous, huh?"

He could only remain still, too full of dread.

"C'mon, it'll be okay. Everyone's been going crazy not knowing if you guys are alive."

She reached out and patted his shoulder, and he took a deep breath. That's right. She was his friend, who wouldn't let anything happen to him or his brother. It would be fine. He took a hesitant step forward, and Undyne kept her hand on his scapula the rest of the way. A light snow was beginning to fall, but something about the air pressure told Papyrus it would become heavier soon. He hoped they got home before it got too bad, but it seemed to mean no one was out and about. He breathed a little easier.

"Undyne?!" a soft, distant voice called, and Papyrus faltered. "Oh my god, it's Undyne--I thought I could smell her. Hurry up Dogamy, maybe she's found something."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," another voice replied, and soon enough, two figures materialized out of the falling snow on the path ahead--the Dogi.

Undyne waved eagerly. "I found them!"

Papyrus was unsure at first, but--no, no, he knew these monsters, they weren't going to hurt him and it'd been so long since he'd seen or spoken to anyone! He bounded ahead to meet them, circling the two exuberantly before running back to Undyne. The Dogi seemed taken aback though, and he hesitated--oh no, had he scared them...?

"Is that...?" Dogamy piped up, and Dogaressa reached for his paw.

"Not that we doubted you, but, it's something else to see in person... They really are shaped differently," she said, taking in the brothers' altered forms. "Are they alright? How can we help?"

"Being attacked and fending for themselves has done a number on 'em, but they'll be okay," Undyne answered. "Right Papyrus?"

He chirped an affirmation, and the Dogi both tilted their heads at the odd sound. Oh, that was funny--he chirped again, and they tilted their heads the other way.

"What's that sound?"

"Why's that sound?"

"Papyrus, quit messing with 'em" Undyne laughed. "Uh, I guess it's complicated, but, as far as I can tell, when he's like this, it's harder to talk for some reason. He can still understand us just fine, he just... can't talk."

Papyrus whined, and the dogs seemed to understand that well enough, their tails and ears drooping.

"Well, what do you need us to do, Captain?"

Undyne pursed her lips as she thought. "I'm not sure... I don't think they want to meet everyone just yet, so I wouldn't go sounding any alarms or making any announcements. Hmm... Papyrus, do you think Sans'll want to eat something from Grillby's?"

He shrugged to the best of his ability, dipping his head. It was worth a shot--and Sans seemed to agree, moving for the first time since Undyne had picked him up. Papyrus reached over to nuzzle him, then looked up at Undyne.

"Alright. If you guys could get something for Sans from Grillby's--you know what he likes, right?"

The dogi nodded.

"Cool. I'll pay you back when we meet up at the brothers' house, okay?"

The Dogi saluted, then Dogaressa turned to Papyrus.

"It's really good to see you're alright. We've been so worried ever since we heard Sans was sick... If there's any way we can help you two, please let us know, alright? I'm sure we'll see you soon."

"Absolutely," Dogamy confirmed. "Town just hasn't been the same without either of you."

Papyrus gave a low, wavering hoot, and bowed his head. He'd been missed... He felt very foolish, thinking that hiding had been the answer to his problems back when this all started. Really, it had only led to more, and he wished he'd seen that sooner.

They waved the Dogi off as they trotted ahead to put in Sans' order, leaving them alone on the road again.

"See, told you guys didn't I?" Undyne started as she set off. "No one wanted that mess with the flower to happen, and have missed you guys for even longer. Even I didn't realize how much you meant to everyone... They'll all be glad to see you."

Papyrus hooted, and nuzzled her arm before taking the lead. He was feeling much better about how things would go now. The first lights of town shone through the steady snowfall, and a feeling he couldn't describe filled him. He hadn't seen it like this in so long... but he'd decided--his days of hiding were over from now on.

They made it to their house without further encounters--the snow had begun coming in thick, so no doubt a blizzard would be keeping everyone hunkered indoors. Papyrus was a little disappointed--but, he knew Sans wasn't ready for so much attention, even if he normally thrived on it. Undyne laid him down on their couch, then helped Papyrus clean things up after his home had been left neglected. He also took the time to clean himself--unlike other animals, or even monsters, skeletons didn't exactly have many ways to groom themselves. His hands and feet in particular had mud staining them, and the hard-to-reach spots between his vertebrae especially needed tending. It was a relief to clamber into a warm shower and wash it all away. Sans needed a good scrub too, but they could see to that later.

It wasn't long before the Dogi had arrived with the order from Grillby's; Undyne took it, paid them, and bid them goodnight before bringing the food over to the couch. Papyrus had just gotten a clean blanket out, and the two converged on the small, listless skeleton. Papyrus flung the blanket over him, working to spread it evenly over his spines and tail while Undyne got his favorite order unwrapped.

"Alright bonehead, maybe that sandwich earlier wasn't your thing, but we got you a burger from Grillby's. That's gotta sound good, right?" Undyne coaxed, placing it next to Sans' head.

Papyrus watched in anticipation as his brother sniffed at it--but then, only took a tiny bite before turning away again. A sharp wail burst from him--this was his brother's favorite food and he still wouldn't eat! What was wrong, what could he do, was Sans sick, would he die?! He paced anxiously from one side of the room to the other before Undyne stopped him by the shoulder.

"It's gonna be okay Papyrus. I know you're worried--honestly, I am too. But, maybe Sans just needs some time to rest or process stuff. You guys have been through a lot, so..."

Papyrus wanted to say that he knew. His thoughts were getting clearer, but his voice was stubbornly clinging to animalistic expressions. He couldn't say just how bad it was--he could only sit on the floor and shiver.

Undyne frowned. "I... don't really know what'll help. But, I was thinking... maybe I should stay with you guys for a while, make sure you're settled in. We can make snacks, watch movies... actually... actually give you guys something normal, for once. Does that sound okay?"

Papyrus nodded, and she pulled him into a hug. He didn't know if he'd be able to relax, but he wanted this house to feel like his again. He also wasn't ready to say goodbye to Undyne yet, even if he knew she'd be back soon. So they set things up, found Mettaton's 24/7 movie channel, and got comfortable. At one point, Undyne decided to noogie him, and it turned into an all-out wrestling match. She managed to pin him, and he was too tired for another round--but it had felt good to roughhouse.

It was well after Undyne had fallen asleep that Papyrus hopped up onto the couch, stepping carefully around his brother so he could curl up next to him. The burger still sat by his head, cold and untouched; Papyrus was careful not to disturb it in case his brother would want it later. His brother... Papyrus nudged his snout, checking on him--it was hard to tell if he was asleep or not, his eyes half-open and breathing slow.

Oh Sans... It seemed like he really had given up--not just on being his old self, but even trying to move forward as who he was now. Whatever had happened before they'd reunited had taken its toll, and Papyrus could only wonder what had driven his brother to such complete apathy. Attacking people he'd once been friends with probably didn't help either... and then, when he'd startled him one morning and been bitten... Regardless, Papyrus knew he had to make his brother see a reason to keep going, but he didn't have the slightest idea how. Even when they'd been trapped in a lab, treated as little more than curiosities, Sans had never been this bad. He was at a loss...

But, too sleepy to keep thinking about it. Laying on something soft, in a safe warm house, with his brother and his friend by his side, was lulling his eyes closed. He knew his body needed the rest, so he let it. As soon as he could, he'd work on getting his real voice back if only to talk some sense into his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, something good for the bros--Undyne's found them, and while they've still got struggles ahead, food and shelter won't be one of them.
> 
> When I first started writing this story, this was the last chapter I could think of--it went pretty differently too, having Undyne finding Papyrus passed out rather than him actively confronting her. Obviously, I reworked it quite a bit, and I've since thought of much more to the story--so thanks for reading, and check in next week to see what happens next!


	16. Wake-up Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's all been too much. There are no problems he can't do anything about when he sleeps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No chapter picture at the moment, but I'll try to get it done soon!
> 
> Also, this chapter may need some content warnings--poor Sans is having a pretty rough time of it. His behavior is intended to reflect how some animals often react to stress or illness, buuuut it's also pretty common among people with depression, which, Sans is :"D So, if I need to make any specific mentions, let me know!

Movement woke him. He blinked a weary eye open--oh, his brother had gotten up. He settled back in to sleep more. That was all he wanted to do.

Sleep, so no one could hurt him.

Sleep, so he couldn't hurt anyone.

Sleep, where there were no problems he couldn't do anything about.

He'd tried to forget. Pushed his thoughts away so they couldn't hurt. But it didn't matter. Even if he didn't think, the hurt still had its claws in his soul.

Things should have gone back.

Why hadn't they gone back?

Was it fun?

... It didn't matter.

Oh, a touch. His brother was nuzzling his face, trying to push him up. Didn't he know it didn't matter?

A harder touch--he was being pulled up now. Okay. He'd go wherever he was put. It didn't matter to him. He was dragged and set down somewhere hard... and now he was getting wet. He didn't want that, the water was cold--no, it was getting warmer... very warm. It felt good on his bones. He could sleep in this.

When he woke up, he was dry and nestled in many soft things. It felt... nice... so he went back to sleep.

A sharp smell sent little alarms through faint dreams. He cracked an eye open, saw smoke billowing--but someone was laughing, and he could hear his brother's pretend-whine. This was familiar.... The smoke was bad, but there was no danger. He huffed, buried his face into the blankets, and went back to sleep.

The next thing to wake him up was a thud that shook everything. Alarmed, he opened an eye and glanced over--his brother and the fish lady were wrestling again. Both were growling playfully at one another--oh good, it was play. His brother broke free and darted across the room, dodging neatly when the lady charged at him before pouncing on her. He watched them tumble across the floor, and felt... amused.

He hadn't felt that in a long time.

It was... a relief, really. He'd almost forgotten he could feel things besides sadness, or anger, or nothing--and nothing else. Seeing his brother so carefree, having fun despite everything... it was nice. Maybe he didn't have to worry. If his brother was okay... so was he.

Everything smelled like home. Safety. Family.

And the fish lady, but she was ok. She was allowed here. She was nice to his brother.

There was nothing more he needed to do. He could sleep.

He was being pushed again. He growled, eyes not even opening to see who it was--his brother gave a short growl back, irritated. He was pushed harder--no, he wasn't getting up. He growled again, and the pushing stopped. His brother huffed at him, then squawked, but he responded by burying his head into the soft bedding around him. He didn't want to be bothered.

His brother barked at him. He ignored it.

His brother hooted, softly.

He ignored it. His brother whined, and he could hear him shift nervously before padding away. Finally. He could go back to sleep.

He was woken up by rattling. Everything was dark--it was very late. It was hard to stay awake, but something about the rattling had stirred the alarms in his mind. Something was wrong. Slowly, he lifted his head and tilted it side to side, trying to locate the rattle's source. It was close... below him? He slid his head over to peer at the foot of the couch.

His brother was curled up, shivering. Something like fear shot through him--why was he down there, why was he shaking? Even his eyes were dark--he never let them go out, not like he did. This was bad... His brother... felt bad...

He couldn't understand. He didn't seem hurt. His friend was still here--she was okay too. So why was his brother so sad? Had something happened? Had he done something wrong...? That couldn't be right.

He... hadn't...

He hadn't done anything. For a long time now. Despite his brother trying his hardest.

He'd done nothing.

... Was that it?

His brother was sad... because he didn't want to do anything? But it was better this way... Any time he'd tried to do something, it had failed, gone wrong, hurt someone.

But... maybe only doing nothing was bad too. His brother thought so. His brother... was really good...

It was an intriguing thought, but he was too tired to pursue it. He pulled his head back up and tucked it against his side, then drifted off, regardless of his brother's shudders. Staying awake was too hard.

He was shaken awake this time--but his awareness came slowly, like he was rising through water. Opening his eyes was a struggle, but when they finally did and the room beyond focused, he found the fish lady had her hand on his shoulder, and looked really relieved to seem him wake up. He could see his brother too, just behind her--his eyes were out again. Oh, right--he needed to think about why his brother was sad, but the lady was talking, making it hard to focus. His thoughts were so hazy... Really, if he could just go back to sleep...

As he shut his eyes, a sharp howl broke from his brother, and he snapped them open in alarm. Was his brother hurt? Who was hurting him?! And then he saw them both staring at him, expressions full of fear and worry. For him.

 _He_ was hurting them. Why else would they look at him like that, with so much pain in their eyes? His brother really _was_ sad because of him. It was the only thing that made sense.

He didn't want that. Never. He didn't want to be the reason his brother's eyes were dark, why he keened, why he shivered. But what could he do? He couldn't fix anything, couldn't stop all the bad things that might hurt them... He was too weak, too useless. He was better off asleep.

What could he do...?

He wanted to fix everything, but...

But...

... Maybe it didn't have to be a big thing like that. No one could fix those things. But something small... just enough to make his brother smile...

He couldn't make him smile if he was asleep.

The sudden thought electrified him. He'd been trying to avoid problems by sleeping them away, but by doing that, by doing nothing, he'd forgotten to do something important. Maybe even a lot of things, all because he'd forgotten why he did them. He tried to remember what he needed to do, something small that could help just a little, right now. What did he need to do, what did he need...

He needed...

Not sleep, not shelter...

Oh. He hadn't eaten anything in a while, had he?

He hadn't felt hungry for a long time. Food was a nice thing, but he couldn't think about nice things. He'd been too scared to even consider it. But... he needed that to live. If he didn't eat, he'd...

No wonder they looked so scared.

The lady patted him, and got up to do something--he couldn't see what. It didn't matter. He'd put it together, realized what he could do so his brother wouldn't be sad anymore. If he was the cause, then he needed to do better. But he felt too weak to move, and the lady was gone--how was he going to get food...?

He inhaled to sigh, but a smell caught his attention, sending more--but different--alarms sparking through his mind. Where was it--there! They'd left a--oh, his favorite, that's right--near him, on the arm of the couch. He stretched his neck out until it was in range and took a tentative nibble--and growled to himself when the taste brought back memories of the flower taunting him.

How... _dare_ he. He couldn't ruin this too, not when he was finally trying. This was _his_ \--he'd enjoy this in _spite_ of him. He gulped his small bite down, then picked up the rest and knocked it back before snuggling back into the blankets. They were better fresh, but he was already feeling better. He was strong, and smart. He wouldn't let the flower win. He wouldn't let him take this away, take his chance to see his brother smile again.

The fish lady said something, and he was tackled. His brother alternated between nuzzling him affectionately and fussing over him, chattering all the while--happy. He uttered a low whine--he was still too tired to play, go play with the lady, but his brother's excitement told him he'd done the right thing. Something was shoved into his nose, and the smell connected with his instincts--he'd snapped and swallowed before he even knew what he was eating. Not that it mattered--he was suddenly ravenous after not feeling hungry at all for so long, so it could have been anything and he'd have been happy. But he focused long enough to recognize he'd been given a ham sandwich before he bit again. It was gone in moments, but they had another one ready for him. He wasn't about to turn it down.

A final bit of tension that had gripped him lifted. Not everything was better, he knew that. But he buried his snout in the blankets and breathed in. Family. Home. Safety. Food. For now, he had everything he needed--and that was why he _could_ do things, why it was worth doing them. He needed to remember that.

The others let him rest for a while, then roused him for more food later; they seemed really happy to see him eating, moving again. He liked that they were happy, his brother most of all. Making others smile... that was one of his favorite things to do. He'd almost forgotten, after all the bad that had happened and seemed to never stop. Maybe it was finally stopping, and he could just... be.

The lady stayed with them, making sure they were fed and had what they needed. His brother practically tumbled down the stairs one day and danced around the room, overjoyed to be wearing a colorful piece of fabric around his neck. She'd complimented him, and the joy on his brother's face almost made him want to prance around too. He'd never been one to prance though--lumber, maybe--so he settled on giving an approving hoot when his brother gamboled over. His brother trilled joyfully, then raced back up the stairs--to _his_ room? Why? The sound of rummaging echoed, and he and the fish lady exchanged looks.

His brother emerged with a triumphant cry, more fabric in his jaws. He leapt from the second floor and trotted over to drop the fabric thing on his head. He grumbled and pushed it off to give his brother a perplexed look, and he seemed to bounce before reaching over to pull it back over him.

He sighed. Ok. He'd just stay like this.

Oh, nope, his brother was nudging him insistently. He wanted him to get up. He huffed another sigh, then slowly pushed himself up to sit, the fabric still draped over his head and blocking his view. He could hear laughter, so at least it was funny. The fabric was pulled from his head, and he could see his brother trying to drape the thing over his shoulders. The tall spines that rose from his back meant he didn't have much luck. Huffing with frustration, he left to pace, and the fish lady approached.

"Mind if I try?"

He tilted his head at her--he'd actually understood that well enough. Focusing on words had been so hard... He responded with what felt right--a shrug. She shrugged herself, then tried arranging the fabric into some semblance of what it was supposed to be. A blanket he could wear...? But she gave up too--those spines were just too tall. They'd tear the fabric. The lady drew back, studying him before turning to his brother with sudden inspiration.

"Hey, I wonder if a sweater would work--one of those button-down ones, y'know? If we turned it backwards, his spines could go between the buttons."

His brother seemed to think about this--then chirped happily before bounding back upstairs. He went into his own room this time, and came back with yet another piece of fabric. Was all this really necessary...?

"Okay Sans--"

He tilted his head again. Oh yeah. That was his name, wasn't it? He'd let it slip away...

"--I know you always liked wearing hoodies more, but this is the best we've got. Wanna give it a shot?"

Oh. A hoodie. That had been the other fabric thing. He recognized it now, turning to nudge it around until he could see the sleeves. Hadn't he had a blue one? He really liked that one.

"Sorry, but we just can't get it to fit," the lady apologized. "Papyrus had this though, it might work a little better."

Papyrus--he'd forgotten his brother's name too? Geez. He studied the fabric offered by the lady--she had a name too, but it wasn't coming to him. Uhhhh.... Unn.... Undone? Undo? Undies? He'd probably find out soon. The faded blue thing in her hands looked nice though. He'd let her try to put it on. His claws caught in the sleeves more than once, which turned out to be too long for him--but otherwise, it was a success, and he _did_ like having something wrapped around him. The pressure was nice. He carefully shook himself out, then settled back into the blankets to take in Papyrus and the lady's pleased faces.

This was... this was kind of normal, right? This was what his life should be like all the time. Comfy, with his friends and family--not full of fear and doubt. This was all he wanted. He uttered a contented sigh, and snuggled down to sleep.

It was easier to wake up the next time, and he couldn't help but feel this was a good thing. Papyrus chattered excitedly, dancing circles around the fish lady while she toted out a set of steaming bowls from the kitchen. It smelled... really good, actually, and Sans perked his head up.

"Hey, I think this is our best attempt yet! Who knew they put the directions on the box?"

Papyrus twittered a reply, then looked over to him excitedly as he dropped from the couch to shuffle over, his curiosity--and appetite--piqued. The lady spread out a towel in front of the TV, then set a pair of bowls down before taking a seat herself.

"Well, eat up! I didn't make all this mac 'n cheese so you guys could stare at it."

Papyrus huffed at her, eyes lidded, and it took her a moment to understand his mood--but she got it and laughed.

"Okay, _we_ didn't make it so it could be stared at," she corrected, waving her spoon for emphasis.

Sans didn't need any further permission, and the three settled in to share dinner while Mettaton rambled through the day's news on the TV. The food was actually pretty good--only a couple of tough noodles stuck to his teeth, and he didn't care enough for that to put him off. Papyrus seemed quite pleased with how the meal had turned out as well--and the fish lady wore a mischievous smirk. Sans felt he recognized that look. That was the face of someone... who was trying to think of something funny.

"Y'know... It's too bad you guys can't talk, otherwise I'm sure you'd have made all kinds of _cheesy_ jokes."

Papyrus snapped his jaws shut and glared at her. It took a moment, but Sans found himself chuffing with laughter--oh, this was _funny_. Not just the words--his brother's reaction too. The fish lady beamed, looking very proud of herself.

"Yeah, you like that huh? Someone's gotta tell the jokes around here, and I guess I'M filling in for you punks. I'm gonna tell more than you thought _pasta_ -ble! Fuhuhuhuhuhu!"

Papyrus made an annoyed rasp. He rushed to finish his bowl, then picked it up and stomped off to the kitchen. Sans could only chuff more while he ate--it felt good to laugh. It seemed like he hadn't in a very long time.

"What are you laughin' at?" the lady teased, squinting at him playfully. "You're the _sauce_ of half these jokes, you know?"

Papyrus returned from the kitchen and leapt at her, batting at her face in a clear attempt to cover her mouth and keep her from telling more terrible puns. She grabbed his arms to shove him over, and he scrambled up with an indignant whine.

"Hah! You think you can stop me? You better use your _noodle_!"

That one went a little over Sans' head, though he knew he should have understood it. It made no difference to Papyrus though, who could tell by tone alone that it was another joke and was chattering all manner of annoyed noises. Sans tilted his head at one--it had taken a shape in his mind. It was almost a word. It had been so long since he'd heard his brother say any proper words, he'd almost forgotten that happened.

He wanted to hear more.

"I think I'm out of pasta puns though," the lady said, brows furrowed. "I might have to... _cavatappi_ out."

"Ggggrraaahhh!" Papyrus uttered, which was somehow more word than growl--it even startled him, and he blinked in surprise.

The lady grinned wider. "Well... maybe I've got a couple more I can _rotelle_."

"Hrrrooooooh! Aaaahhhddnnnnnhh!"

More almost-words, but they were getting clearer, and Papyrus seemed to be getting more confident and excited. He zipped around the room as if he couldn't contain himself in between trying to tackle the fish lady again and put an end to the awful jokes.

If Sans could have smiled wider, he would have. He opened his mouth to tell a joke of his own--but all that came out was a low, soft hoot. Oh. He... wasn't there quite yet. He flopped down, and Papyrus stopped long enough to stride over to pat his shoulder in recognition of his disappointment.

"Hey, you'll get it soon," the fish lady said, wearing a big grin. "You just gotta keep working at it!"

He thought--there was a joke here, he knew it, could feel it--he had to work at it, he had to-- _put his backbone into it_! There it was--eyes bright, he got up from the floor, and looked his brother in the eyes as he made a point of rattling his back spines.

Papyrus stared at him. Did he get it...?

"SSSAAAANSSS!!!" he screeched, leaping to push him over. Sans rolled out from under him, raspy laughter echoing as he dodged his brother. The lady was laughing too, and snagged Papyrus as he darted by to noogie him.

"Hah! I should've known he'd be the one to get you talking," she said, even as he struggled and protested.

"Yyyyou! Planned it?" Papyrus retorted, his voice muffled largely due to being in a headlock. "I sssshould have known!"

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" she replied. "I know that's been keepin' ya down these last few days."

Papyrus huffed, and finally gave up his struggle. "Unbelievable. To think... bad jokes... are what freed my voice.... Augh!"

The lady laughed again, releasing him at last. "I guess plain old howling wasn't good enough to express your outrage. And hey, even Sans got in on it--he's gotta be feeling better too. Right?"

Sans nodded, then shuffled over to nudge his brother in the chest. It was good to hear him talking again, and Papyrus' gaze turned soft as he returned the nuzzle. Then, he rolled over and nuzzled the lady too.

"Thank you, Undyne. I knew you wouldn't let me slip away for too long."

Undyne! That was the lady's name. She scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.

"Yeah, well, you know me. I never give up--especially not on my friends. We'll get Sans back on his feet too, don't worry."

Sans glanced down--he _was_ on his feet. He looked back up at her, and laid down, folding his legs under himself.

"Sans! Ohhh my god," Papyrus howled again--his voice was mostly back but still tended to swing into tremolos or howls. "Well he's definitely feeling better if he's being like this."

Undyne laughed again. "Hey, well, at this rate maybe you guys can see everyone again soon. It's all I can do to keep them from busting your door down some days."

"... I hope you're joking," Papyrus said, looking concerned. "About the door-busting part, I mean."

She scoffed, shaking her head as she roughly patted his skull. "Okay, maybe no one's trying to see you _that_ badly. Still, every time I go over to Grillby's it's all anyone asks me about."

Sans tilted his head. Grillby's... that was a good place. That was where his favorite food came from. There was also always lots of people there... Even if he wanted to go, he didn't know if he was ready to face them. He still felt pretty weak, but... Soon. For now, he was sleepy and full of pasta. Undyne and Papyrus had moved on to talking about whatever Mettaton was doing; their voices steadily lulled him into an easy sleep.

A few more days passed. Papyrus made steady progress--his voice was getting stronger, and he was having better luck with using objects as he helped to clean and cook. There were moments he'd struggle and get frustrated, but those were coming less often, and Undyne helped with the things that were still beyond his grasp. Sans was content to support him in whatever he wanted to achieve, but felt little need to push himself. Now that things were looking up, he didn't see much reason to.

Loud noise, something touched him--he whirled on it and snapped--but there was nothing, and as he blinked awake he noticed Undyne standing warily, her expression guarded. Papyrus was looking at him sadly, and he uttered a mournful whine as he flopped back down on the couch. He'd done it again... tried to hurt someone who didn't deserve it...

"Hey, it's okay," Undyne was saying, soft but firm at the same time. "I know you didn't mean it. Don't worry, you didn't get me, and there's nothing here that'll hurt you. You're alright."

He sighed. He was glad he hadn't hurt her, but... he could have. He had that power. He had to use it responsibly, but... it was hard when he'd act before he even knew what was happening. He remembered the feeling of bone crunching in his jaws and shuddered. He'd never forget his brother's cry that day--it was his fault Papyrus' arm was still a little crooked. He... he had to do better. Keep trying. Maybe... tempting as it was to stay the same... he shouldn't rely on instinct so much either. But it was so hard...

"Maybe it's still too soon," Papyrus mused, interrupting his thoughts. "He's been doing better, but..."

Undyne pursed her lips. "Yeah... It's fine, we can give it more time. You and I could go, if you wanted."

Sans squinted, then pushed himself up. Maybe he needed the change of scenery, to get used to being around people again--shake off all this baggage. What he'd been doing... hadn't exactly worked out for him, after all.

"Sans, you don't have to go if you don't want to," Papyrus said nervously--it was odd to hear it coming from him. "If you just want to rest, that's okay! We were just going to go out and say hi to whoever happens to be out and about, if you're not ready for that you can stay home, there's leftovers in the fridge if you get hungry but we can pick up Grillby's for you too if that would make you feel better--"

Sans blinked. Grillby's. He had friends there, who he hadn't seen in ages--it was a good place, a fun place. He wanted to see it again. Numbers flashed in his mind, and knowing what they meant without even thinking, he moved with them.

He appeared at the door. Smells--grease, fire, alcohol, food--inundated him, but it all went ignored. Everyone--every last monster in the establishment--had gone silent and was staring at him in utter shock. A few had gotten up from their seat and were backing away warily, the fear clear on their faces...

"Hold on--that's Sans!"

The bar erupted with a level of sound Sans wasn't quite prepared for--it was almost too much, ringing through his skull. But it was _happy_ sound. Everyone was cheering, hollering, asking how he was or if he wanted anything to eat, if he needed help or wanted to sit with them, all at once. They crowded around, reaching out, and he instinctively shrank back towards the door, trying not to growl.

"Hey, back up a bit guys," Dogaressa called, pushing her way to the front and waving her axe. "You're making him nervous, c'mon."

"Sans, nervous? Since when's he been nervous about anything?" someone called jovially, but Dogaressa was unmoved.

"Did you forget everything that's happened in the last three months?!" she barked, brandishing her axe overhead. "If the last thing that happened to me was my friends attacking me, I'd probably be a little guarded too. Give him some room."

The crowd backed down, and Sans looked up at Dogaressa gratefully. She smiled at him, the wag back in her tail.

"Hello again, Sans--it's really good to see you. How've you been?" she said, continuing the conversation.

Oh, this was going to be tricky. He thought for a bit, then shrugged.

"What's the matter Sansy, cat got your tongue?!" one of the others called mockingly.

"He's a skeleton, he don't have one!" another retorted, and the bar burst with laughter--Sans chuffed to himself as Dogamy piped up.

"Oh, that's right--Undyne, when she brought 'em back, she explained it can be hard for them to talk when they look like this. Kinda like Greater Dog here, right Sans?"

Sans nodded, and murmurs passed through the bar. He was glad the Dogi were here--they'd been a big help already.

"Well hey, if you can't talk... we'll just have to fill you in on everything you missed!" another patron called, and the rest hollered in agreement.

"Go on, sit down! This one's on me!"

"Yeah! Hey, you want the booth? It might be a nicer seat for ya."

"Grillby, get 'im some fries! I can see his ribs!"

"He's a skeleton, you can _always_ see his ribs!"

Sans clambered up onto the stool he remembered was his favorite spot, surrounded by laughter and jokes--just how he remembered. No one was afraid of him--not anymore. By the time Undyne and Papyrus burst in, having searched for him desperately everywhere but the most obvious place of all, he'd been plied with more food and attention than he could possibly need and was dozing on the counter. The bar erupted again at their arrival, and Papyrus was treated to the same lavish welcome--though he had to politely refuse Grillby's regular fare, opting for a glass of milk instead.

Sans kept a weary eye on his surroundings; he'd overeaten and was too sleepy to focus on what everyone was saying, but he didn't want to miss how happy his brother was. He was chatting busily, catching up on how things had gone while he'd been away, managing to be his blustery self even about his struggles. Even better, the patrons were listening intently, giving him all the attention he'd always wanted. Undyne had stepped back, and seemed to just be watching happily.

Warm, full, and surrounded by friends, Sans had almost drifted off when the conversation took a turn that broke through the daze and made him perk up.

"So hey, I just wanted to say sorry for, er... attacking you guys," one monster was admitting bashfully. "No hard feelings?"

Papyrus gave an offended gasp. "Of course not! It was all just a misunderstanding. I myself was worried that my current state would be too intimidating and then no one would want to come near me! Thankfully I know better now, and am very glad. I just wish it hadn't taken so long!"

A few chuckles followed.

"So what are you guys gonna do now? Is it business as usual, or are you still going to try going back to your regular bodies?"

"The only thing I know for sure is, no more hiding," Papyrus replied firmly. "It's just led to trouble, and I've had about enough of that. I think Sans has too... but, until he stops being lazy about talking, I can only guess. He did get up and come here all on his own though, so I guess that's something!"

"We knew he couldn't stay away forever!" one of the others joked, and the rest laughed in agreement.

It was evening by the time they left; Papyrus toted a hefty bag of leftovers while Undyne carried him, half asleep, back home. He was set on the couch once more, and Papyrus fussed about grease while Undyne sorted the leftovers into the fridge. Sans watched this flurry of activity contentedly; he'd missed the crowd at Grillby's, missed being a part of things like he once had. He felt more like himself than he had in ages, and hooted a happy warble to his brother as he adjusted the blanket around him.

Papyrus looked at him warmly. "I'm happy to hear that, Sans. I've... until very recently, I was very worried about you. But I knew you would get better! I'm sure seeing everyone at Grillby's cheered you up a lot too."

Sans uttered another hoot. He was getting really sleepy...

"Honestly, I... I had fun there too. I'm glad no one's afraid of us like we were so worried about. They're all just happy we're okay..."

Sans rumbled affirmation. All that worry and stress... well, it had all been for nothing, sure... but that meant he didn't have to worry going forward, either. They could focus on just... doing whatever. He just wanted to see his brother happy again, and that was going pretty well now.

His soul still ached with a pain he knew would never go away--but it didn't dig so deeply now, and had been there even before they'd gotten stuck in these forms anyway. Things weren't all the way better, and maybe they'd never be, but he could at least enjoy what he had. No matter what, he could do that much.

He finally drifted off, soul and hopes no longer so empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always felt that Sans, despite his struggles, is the kind of person to realize what he needs to do to keep himself going--whether it's making sure his brother doesn't worry, finding someone else to help in the neutral endings, or simple things like distracting himself with car magazines at his sentry station or hanging with the regulars at grillby's--he's always doing something. That isn't to say he doesn't have his low points, and this chapter was the end of a particularly long one. It won't be a straight path, but the brothers don't have so much to worry about now--they can both start to move forward.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading--the story's not over yet, so I hope you look forward to the next chapter ^^


	17. Troubled Present, Troubled Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The brothers seek Alphys' help--but that means revisiting bad memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, no chapter pic this week either. I'll get it posted eventually!

Papyrus stretched to his full length, neck straight, arms extended, tail flicking out behind him. All in all, he was easily twice as long as his couch--he didn't remember this form being so long, but then, perhaps he'd grown since those days in the lab years ago. Refreshed, he stood back up, shook out his bones, and gave a short huff. He had to focus. He was going to try something he'd nearly given up on, and he could only hope the time away had renewed his ability to do so. He focused inward, feeling out the vibrant flux of energy within him that gave him life and strength. If he could just nudge the right bit into place...

The door clattered open and Undyne bustled in, bags of fresh groceries looped over her arms. "Heya, Papyrus! I got you all the stuff on the list, I figured I'd have an easier time carrying it than you."

Papyrus snapped his eyes open. "Ah, thank you Undyne! I'm sure I could have managed, but that's very thoughtful of you. Sans will be happy to hear he's restocked on ketchup, no doubt!"

"Oh yeah. They had a sale on the big ones, so he should be good for a while," Undyne replied with a laugh.

"Oh no--I never get those for him, he sees it as an excuse to go through them too fast! Oh well, I suppose we'll count it as a treat."

Undyne laughed again. "Wow, you know, I think you guys are the only people I know of who run out of something because you get _more_ of it than you need."

"It is ridiculous, isn't it?" Papyrus agreed. "But, that's just how Sans is."

"How's he doing? Any more nightmares?"

"No, thankfully. I finally got him to sleep in his room again--he's napping now."

"That's good," Undyne said, joining him in the living room now that she'd set things down. "What's the plan for today? You up for doing puzzle maintenance yet?"

Papyrus frowned, flexing his hands. "Maybe inspection, but unfortunately, I don't think my fingers are quite up to the task! They're much better than they were, but I still haven't been able to manage writing again, much less the dexterity of an expert puzzle engineer... Like I used to be..."

Undyne patted his shoulder. "Hey, you'll get it, you just gotta keep working right? Actually, that reminds me--I've been meaning to ask you guys... I've been wondering if maybe Doctor Alphys could help figure out why you're stuck. I dunno how much she'll be able to tell you, but she's super smart and it's gotta be better than nothing."

Papyrus mulled over the suggestion. "It's worth a try! I was actually trying to change back before you came in."

"Oh geez, sorry if I interrupted..."

"Well, you did, but I don't think it was working anyway," Papyrus said with a huff. "I really don't understand why it's so stubborn!"

"Then let's go see Alphys!" Undyne said cheerfully. "I was actually messaging her about it earlier, and she said she's free, so if you're ready I don't see why we should wait any longer."

He leapt to his feet. "Then let's go! Oh, I suppose it'll interrupt Sans' nap... Well! He can sleep later! This is important!"

Papyrus charged upstairs, excited by the prospect of making a breakthrough. While he'd grown to be comfortable in his beastly form, there was still much he missed about the other shape he could assume. If nothing else, he just wanted to know how to shift between the two again, and Undyne was right--trying to figure it out on their own hadn't worked. It was time to call in another brilliant mind.

"Sans! Sans, wake up--"

He got a weary growl in response.

"I know, I'm sorry--but listen! Doctor Alphys wants to help us figure out why we're stuck, and I'm not waiting a moment longer! I know it's not a priority for you, but..."

At this, Sans opened both eyes to look at him, then pushed himself up and shook before lumbering out of bed. Ever since they'd gotten him back-- _really_ gotten him back--he'd been making more of an effort to accompany him in whatever he was doing, even if he didn't participate. Papyrus was just happy to see him up and about, and he supposed that was why Sans did it--but he seemed better for it, and it meant he shuffled after him as he lead the way back downstairs.

It was a short jaunt to the Riverperson, who looked them over before muttering something about wearing more pants. They shifted to make room as the trio clambered in, and in moments the boat was speeding to Hotland. Papyrus hadn't taken the ferry in ages--it was thrilling to watch the water whip past and feel the wind weave through his bones. Sans seemed to be enjoying it too, laying with his head on the boat's rim and watching the world--their tiny corner of it, anyway--go by.

Hotland's warmth could be felt long before they reached the dock. Undyne dipped her arms into the river, splashing water over her face and fins in preparation before they disembarked. They bid farewell to the Riverperson, then headed for the stairs. Papyrus winced--he'd forgotten how strongly it smelled of sulfur here, and there were other scents as well--sharp, metallic, the essence of molten rock.

It was the first thing he'd smelled after escaping the lab.

The lab.

It was at the top of those stairs. It was where the Royal Scientist worked. Where things got made. Tested. Broken.

Papyrus continued walking, ignoring the pit of dread that lay between his ribs. He knew that Alphys would never hurt them. She was a brilliant scientist, but also a good person who'd given him a puzzle for his route despite barely knowing him only a few months ago. He knew this. She was friends with Undyne, and he trusted Undyne would never befriend a cruel person. It would be fine. They would be fine.

They crested the top of the stairs, and the lab loomed. Papyrus tried not to stare up at the structure as they approached, its plain white walls tinted pink by the glowing lava roiling below. _White, white walls..._

They approached the entrance and the door slid open, making him jump. Sans looked over at him, and he pretended not to know what he was curious about. He had to keep it together--he'd wanted this, it'd be silly to go back now! Only Alphys worked here anymore, not _him_. She was stepping out now, somehow looking happy and nervous at the same time.

"Hiya Alphys!" Undyne greeted brightly--Papyrus noted she was wearing a softer than usual, but no less wide, smile, and tried to focus on that. "We finally made it! It's good to see you."

Alphys smiled, but her hands fidgeted. "Um, yeah, ha ha... it's g-good to see you t-too... Did... you guys have a good ride over...?"

"It was very short!" Papyrus blurted out, unsure whether he'd sounded cheerful. He wasn't going to think about it.

"Yeah, the Riverperson was all like ' _whoosh_ '," Undyne elaborated, striking a pose the Riverperson definitely hadn't. "It's like they knew we're on an important mission!"

Alphys started. "R-right! Important, ah hah... um... So, do you guys... want to come in?"

"Yeah! That's where the magic happens, right?" Undyne said, and Alphys looked like the pink tint to her scales had nothing to do with the lava.

"I-it's, um, science, but... yeah! You're right, um, let's go in... Th-though, I haven't cleaned, I'm sorry, it's a h-hot mess..." she trailed, then added, very softly, "like me."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Undyne dismissed with a grin, "considering our favorite hang-out is a literal dump."

Alphys burst out laughing, covering her mouth. Papyrus was glad she and Undyne were having a good time, but it was all he could do to keep quiet when everything inside him was screaming. He just had to not think about it, not remember how he'd been made in the depths of this very building, then pressed and prodded and isolated and _hurt_ \--

The others--even his brother, moved to go inside. Papyrus stayed frozen in place, staring after them. How could Sans be going in, didn't he know, didn't he care, he had to-- _they had to_ \--

He lunged forward, slipping under his brother to hoist him onto his back. _Run!_ Claws scraping as they dug into the dense basalt, he whipped around and surged forward, across the bridge that led back to Waterfall and heedless of anyone's cries. _Get out, get out, run!_ He could feel Sans shift precariously, kicking to get either his attention or keep his balance--it didn't matter which. Papyrus galloped on, breath ragged as he wove through the tunnels that connected Hotland and Waterfall as fast as his legs would carry him.

 _Run, keep going, get somewhere safe, get far, far away_ \--a feeling, more than words, spurred him on, even when he felt the weight on his back disappear. A familiar crevice loomed, and without a thought he leapt, vaulting up the walls and scrambling down the narrow passage at the top.

_A safe place, a place to rest, a place to hide._

-

Sans shook himself out, panting; he'd only clipped from his brother's shoulders moments ago, but Papyrus had long since disappeared down the dim passage. His chest was sore where his brother's spines had interlocked with his ribs; while it had held him in place, it was hardly comfortable, and Sans winced as he trotted after his brother, trying to catch his breath. He gave a ragged howl, trying to call him back--they'd been ok, the man was long gone, they didn't have to be afraid anymore...

Sans had noticed his brother was jumpy, on edge since they'd set foot in Hotland--but he hadn't expected him to run like this, and he was worried. Was his brother going to disappear again? Would he be alone? Had all their effort been for nothing...?

He tried to utter another howl, but the call trailed as he staggered to a halt, exhausted. He still hadn't fully recovered from their stint in the forest, and didn't have the strength to keep running. All he could do was sit miserably in a pool of shallow water, trying to breathe and steady the magic racing in his chest. And if he was honest, Waterfall was putting _him_ on edge. It was where the flower had kidnapped him, taken him from his brother when he needed him most, worn him down to instincts and spite, then tried to ruin their lives. He growled at the memory, then shook his head. It was no use dwelling on the past.

Heavy footsteps sounded from the passage behind him, and he turned to see Undyne and Alphys pounding towards him. They caught up, and regrouped.

"You okay?" Undyne asked breathlessly, and he nodded, giving a low hoot as he looked down the passage in the direction his brother had run.

"Gotcha. I guess we just keep looking for him... Any idea why he ran? I thought he was all for this..."

That would be hard to answer. Sans knew what said answer was, but he wasn't about to relay it. He shrugged.

"O-obviously," Alphys wheezed, "s-something about the lab scared him, if he ran."

Undyne sagged, then turned to him. "Do you guys always run from your problems? 'Cause this is getting kinda ridiculous."

Sans sighed. He'd been called out, but usually the running wasn't so literal. It _was_ getting ridiculous at this point.

"Eh, whatever. Hopefully he hasn't gone too far. C'mon."

"Just," Alphys gasped, holding up a finger as she clutched at her chest, "j-just one sec--eep!"

Undyne hefted her up on one shoulder, then looked to Sans. "You need a ride too?"

He narrowed his eyes, chuffing with laughter. Alphys looked like she might faint--Undyne really had swept her off her feet. He was gonna ruin it.

He cut right above Undyne's other shoulder and grinned at the little lizard as he landed, who only squirmed more in embarrassment--but her crush was obvious, and he was always up for some good-natured teasing. Undyne only grunted, clearly weirded out by his sudden appearance even as she braced him with her other hand.

"Ugh, I am never going to get used to that. Okay you nerds, let's go."

She took off, picking up speed and sending up plumes of water as she barreled through puddles and streams. All the while, Sans kept an eye out--he'd never be good for what he'd been made to do, but he still had all the skills. Even as Undyne sped along, his keen vision let him spot important details. Deep scrapes in the mud, a smeared footprint, scattered stones--Papyrus had definitely come through--

And then Undyne skidded as she turned to face the wall--but it wasn't a wall, it was a ravine, and Sans noted the fresh mud that dotted the rock face, leading upwards. If he craned his neck, he could just make out a dark spot some twenty feet up--the entrance to a tunnel. Undyne didn't seem surprised to see it.

"Huh... Hold on guys, this is gonna be tricky with both hands full."

She backed up to take a running start--but Sans did some very fast thinking. The right number flashed in his mind--and they were standing at the top of the cliff, right at the passage entrance. Undyne quivered beneath him--then set them both down as she dropped to her knees.

"O-okay. I... am REALLY never getting used to that," she uttered, looking shaken.

Sans couldn't help but chuff again, and clapped her on the shoulder with a clumsy paw before turning to venture down the hidden passage. Lowering his snout to the floor, he sniffed rhythmically, taking in the trail. Wet mud, lingering sulfur, what they'd had for lunch--it was all there. He gave a short bark to the ladies who still hung back in shock, then began making his way down the narrow tunnel, ducking and weaving through its twists and turns. Soon, the light filling the passage wasn't coming from his own eyes--the tunnel opened up into a grandiose cavern, studded with outcrops of enormous, glowing crystals.

But Sans didn't care about the scenery. His brother sat on the edge of a small, clear lake on the far side of the cave, and Sans could hear him shuddering from where he stood at the entrance. He warbled after him, but Papyrus only flinched and dipped his head. Sans sighed, and ambled over to sit beside him.

Finally, Papyrus drew a shaky breath and spoke. "...I'm sorry for running, brother. I tried not to--I tried really, really hard! B-but... that place... there's so many bad memories... I couldn't let us go back there... I couldn't...."

Sans crooned sadly. He understood completely. Going back to the lab and reliving those memories had instigated his own transformation; Papyrus had every reason to despise and fear the place, to want nothing to do with it ever again. He'd been brave to even consider it, and Sans didn't blame him for being overwhelmed at the last moment. Sans sighed, and bumped his head against his brother's leg.

"I don't know what to do, Sans. Undyne, Alphys... what are they going to think...? I ran away for... for no reason, as far as they know..."

Sans stared out across the lake for a while... then turned to him with a firm expression, hoping his brother would understand. Even if the man who'd made them was long gone, the consequences of his actions were still around--and it wasn't fair to make Undyne and Alphys deal with them without knowing the full story. It was time to stop running.

Papyrus studied him, then looked away nervously. "I can't. I can't, Sans. Not after I tried to forget. Not without you... to help... say things..."

Sans huffed, then warbled a long, meandering cry. He didn't have his voice, even if he had a lot of his thoughts back. It couldn't be him. He looked back at his brother pointedly, then nuzzled him again. He knew Papyrus could do it, and Unydne and Alphys would be here soon. It was now or never.

Papyrus gave a shuddering breath. "Where do I even start, brother? What do I say? What if they don't treat us like real monsters anymore, what if they tell everyone--"

Sans batted gently at his brother's snout, continuing to give him a steady gaze. Papyrus stared back, and slowly--he seemed to calm down. He just needed to trust him on this.

"If... If you're sure, Sans," Papyrus finally said, and he responded with an affirming grunt.

"O-okay. Okay... I'll... I'll do it. They're our friends. I can do this."

Sans leaned into him again, then turned as footsteps finally echoed behind them. Undyne and Alphys emerged looking a little worse for wear, but smiles crossed their faces as they saw the brothers were alright.

"Sorry we took so long," Unyne called, sounding breathless, "but Alphys got stuck a couple times and I had to punch some rocks to get her loose."

"That's alright," Papyrus replied. "I... needed some time to straighten my bones out anyway."

Undyne snorted at the phrase. "Hey, I'm just glad to see you're okay. I'm also glad you only ran here, and not to the middle of nowhere again."

"N-no, I didn't want to do that again," Papyrus replied with a wincing smile. "I don't think Sans would be very happy with me. Not to mention, I wouldn't be happy with me."

Sans barked confirmation.

"Well, that's good, but I just... I dunno why you guys keep running away like that," Undyne said as she finally approached, Alphys only a few paces behind her. "I've been worried about you ever since Sans first said you were missing. You say it's fine, but... you keep running, so after everything that's happened I don't know that it is."

Papyrus wore a bittersweet smile. "It's not."

Sans could hear how much it hurt him to admit the truth, and even Undyne seemed surprised.

"What... what's going on then, Papyrus?"

He shut his eyes and began trembling again, his breathing hard. Sans looked up at him, then leaned into his side, applying a steadying pressure. His brother could do this, he knew he could--and he'd be there supporting him all the way. It took a while, but slowly, Papyrus calmed enough to speak again.

"Um... Y-you... you might want to sit down. There's. Th-there's a lot I have to tell you. I... I haven't... We haven't been entirely honest with you... a-and for that, I'm very, extremely sorry."

Undyne and Alphys exchanged looks, then slowly sat on the cave floor.

"It's okay Papyrus. Go on," Undyne encouraged.

Papyrus drew a deep breath, steeling his nerves--then spoke. "What we said back when all this started was true--I really have been able to switch between forms all my life. But. That. Is about it. Because... the rest of the truth is painful. Very painful. We... we didn't want to scare you, or upset you, or... change what you thought of us. By telling the truth."

"What do you mean?" Undyne questioned, voice low.

Papyrus shifted anxiously, looking to the floor as he continued. "I... I've been running, and I ran away from the lab today... because that's where we were made."

"Made?!" Undyne burst, while Alphys stared in disbelief.

"Wh... what d-do you mean, made?" she pressed. "H-here, in the lab? Who? Wh-when?! _How?!_ Er--s-sorry, I j-just, I'm sure you'll get to that, I'll be quiet..."

Papyrus gave her a weak smile, then closed his eyes to begin. "Y-you see... A long time ago... but not very long... there was a man. A scientist. Who thought monsters needed weapons that could think for themselves. At least... that's what I gathered. U-um... my memory of it isn't very good..."

Sans didn't know much more about it than that himself, though he knew Papyrus remembered a fair amount more than that. But the reason for their creation... why the man had made the choices he did...? They knew why they'd been made, but not really _why,_ and maybe they never would.

"Th-that's okay," Alphys assured, "j-just keep going with what you do remember."

Papyrus nodded, then continued. "S-so, after a lot of work... this man... made Sans. B-but... Sans wasn't what he wanted. He was weak, small... and too clever for his own good."

Sans uttered a smug snort. He'd cheated at a fair few puzzles back in the day. It was a solution, wasn't it? But their creator had never _really_ wanted weapons that could think for themselves. He just wanted creatures that could follow his orders. He never had gotten it right--as Papyrus was about to explain.

"S-so, the man kept working, and after a while... he made me! But, little did he know, I was also too clever! And he, in fact, had made a terrible mistake. You see... we weren't supposed to be monsters. We weren't supposed to have souls."

"Weren't... supposed to..." Undyne echoed, brows knit.

"Yeah," Papyrus affirmed, nervously. "It was pretty awkward for him. But, he had work to do, so, it, didn't stop him."

"S-stop him... from... god. God. Dammit. He experimented on you?!" Alphys burst, hands slapping to the cave floor and surprising all of them. "He--and you--you were his kids, technically! And he didn't--oh my god. I can't--! I... I'm s-so sorry--no wonder you didn't want to go into the lab... It must mean so many awful things to you... god.... He didn't care..."

She wasn't wrong. Sans' earliest memory of the place was being locked in a barren kennel and left alone for a few days. What he'd been made to endure when most monsters were learning to talk and play... It was a wonder either of them had coped as well as they had.

"Well, it wasn't so bad sometimes!" Papyrus replied brightly. "Many of the tests were just solving puzzles or running obstacle courses, and it was always nice when we got to do things together. That always made the other tests a little more bearable."

Sans nodded, then leaned a little harder into his brother's side, uttering a reassuring croon, and Papyrus returned the gesture. As long as they were together, they could get through anything. That had always proven true--back then, and now as well.

"O-other... tests... like...?" Alphys asked, out of morbid curiosity, and Papyrus balked--but obliged. He made a face, and took a deep breath before answering.

"W-well, they were unpleasant, to say the least. I don't even know what all of them were for... Samples, o-of the insides of my bones... taking my soul and stretching my magic thin to look at it better... seeing if I needed sleep or food... Just to name a few! Wowie, I'm glad those are over..."

He shook himself out to relieve the stress, and Sans couldn't blame him. The doctor had been reluctant to test him so rigorously due to his poor stats... at first. But he remembered the needles, and too-bright lights, and pain even as someone used healing magic on him just so he wouldn't die. He'd never understood the point of it. Papyrus was shivering now, and he could only continue to press against him to comfort him.

"H-he... he really didn't care then," Alphys said quietly. "A-and I th-thought my mistakes were... God... What did he do when he found out you guys could change forms?"

"I remember it clearly!" Papyrus replied. "He was utterly speechless. We'd surprised him with our abilities before, but this was completely unprecedented! However, it was not a discovery that made him happy."

"I... I bet not..." Alphys huffed bitterly.

"No wonder you guys were so desperate to change back," Unydne stated, looking somber. "This wasn't something you wanted, and now you're trapped like this... Knowing why they exist now, I take back everything I said about these forms being cool. I'm sorry..."

Papyrus shook his head. "No no! It's okay Undyne--not only did you not know, but despite everything, I think they're cool too! No other monsters have this ability, and while there's a lot that makes living in this shape hard, there's lots of things it's better at! I can run faster, my senses are improved, my reactions are quicker--as long as I keep myself sharp, I have all of that plus my regular charms! We can't help how we were made or what happened to us, but... we can at least try to be proud of what we are. And that's not what the man wanted us to be."

He looked to Sans, and he gave him another reassuring coo.

"Wow... that's really brave of you," Undyne said quietly. "I'm glad you guys got out of there in one piece then. I... don't know if I could have gotten through something like that."

Papyrus offered a nervous smile. "We didn't really know it could be any different. At least. Not at first. But, the man had assistants, and they'd talk... they didn't know we were listening, so... we learned quite a lot from their careless chatter!"

Undyne shook her head in disbelief. "Still, no one should ever go through anything like that... But, I guess there's just one last thing I really want to know... One burning question. Tell me where this guy is... so I can KICK HIS A--er, his BEHIND, all the way out of this sorry mountain."

Papyrus managed a weak laugh. "I appreciate your feelings... As it is, his behind has already been kicked."

"So, where is he? H-how... how come I've never heard of him? Was it covered up?" Alphys asked, eyes darting as if secret agents might pop out of the shadows.

At this, Sans sat up to make an exploding motion with his claws, and the two ladies frowned.

"An explosion? But nothing down here's ever exploded," Undyne reasoned, then wore a sheepish smile as a thought came to her. "At least, not any huge explosions that, uh, killed anyone."

"What Sans is referring to," Papyrus explained, "is both an explosion and implosion."

The two ladies looked at him skeptically.

"Um, so... we only ever heard bits and pieces, and a lot of it didn't make sense until we looked into it later... and we still don't know everything. But... the man and his assistants often talked about their other work, thinking we wouldn't understand them. One of their projects... was some kind of time manipulator. One day, their experiments with it... went wrong."

Sans made the exploding motion again--this time wearing a smug expression.

" _You_ exploded him?" Unydyne surmised, incredulous.

"Only sort of!" Papyrus hastily deflected. "I only activated the machine. Sans threw him in. And! It's not like we knew it would explode! I don't remember much of the fight, or what happened after... but, we woke up, and the lab was broken and empty. There were no assistants, no doctor... It was empty."

"Wow. Well, I'm glad he's gone," Undyne said, sitting back, "even if I don't get to bring him to justice personally."

"What'd you do next? I-I mean, you must have escaped, b-but..." Alphys urged, and Papyrus nodded.

"Naturally! It ... was kind of scary, actually. We'd gotten separated in the eximplosion, and didn't find one another until well after we'd both made our way out. But, it was funny--we both came to the same conclusions, didn't we Sans?"

Sans nodded.

"That's right! We both, independently, realized... that no one else knew about the lab, the doctor, or his helpers. It was like they'd never existed--only we knew the truth. So we hid, and watched--and ever so deftly inserted ourselves into regular society! We also swore to ourselves--never again would we wear beastly forms. That no one remembered or knew made it that much easier to pretend none of it ever happened, so when we finally reunited, we... never mentioned what had separated us."

Sans nodded again, then snorted. A lot of good that had done them.

"So... that's the whole story, huh? Wow..." Undyne uttered. "I was a little mad that you'd lied to me about this, but... when it's something so big, and complicated... Man. I don't know that I wouldn't have done the same thing."

"Y... yeah..." Alphys trailed, seeming like she had a lot on her mind. "You felt like hiding everything, from everyone... was your only option."

"Even from Sans, huh?"

Papyrus nodded, looking somber. "Yes. I ran... that first time... because I didn't want to remind Sans, and put him through those memories too. I didn't know what, if anything, he remembered. A-and, if he didn't, then I didn't want to scare him by suddenly not being myself... I didn't want to come back until I wasn't a weapon anymore."

"Geez," Undyne uttered. "Yeah, I can kind of see why you'd think running was your best option."

"Yes, well, it didn't work," Papyrus huffed. "I know that now--though, Sans, why did you stay away after you escaped Undyne's visit? You left, and I..."

Sans' heart twisted, and he buried his head into his brother's chest with an apologetic warble. He hadn't meant to leave him alone. One day, he'd find that flower and pay him back for that. He seemed to be very good at returning favors.

"Well, you can tell me later," Papyrus sighed, then turned to look back at Undyne and Alphys. "So... now you know. We're... not... really monsters... the way anyone else is."

"Wh--no way!" Undyne blurted. "You have souls the same as the rest of us! So you were part of some weird, secret experiment, so what?! You guys are twice the monster that guy was."

Sans squinted, then laughed, and both Undyne and Papyrus glared at him.

"Oh my god! I didn't mean _literally_."

Alphys snorted. "W-well, I'm just glad he can joke about it. I can't even begin to imagine everything you guys went through... but now I want to help you even more! B-but... I understand if you don't want to go near the lab again. M-maybe I can make whatever I need portable..."

"Do whatever your brilliant mind thinks is best! I'm still a little nervous, but..."

"Hey man, c'mere," Undyne said, leaning forward to give him a hug. "Thanks for telling us, and... trusting us, I guess. I know it wasn't easy."

"Thank you... f-for being our cool friends," Papyrus replied, clearly trying not to cry. "I... I'm very glad... and I--I can't speak for him, but I think Sans is too."

Papyrus looked down at him, and Sans nodded. He hadn't wanted their secret to get out either, but now that it was--to people they could trust, at least--it felt like a little more weight had lifted from him. He turned to study Undyne and Alphys; they both looked sad, and he hated it--happiness was scarce down here. But maybe happiness didn't always let you move forward.

"Hey, what else are friends good for?" Undyne replied. "We'll be behind you every step of the way, cheering you on! I think I said it before, but I'm gonna say it again: I WON'T REST until BOTH of you are back where you want to be. I don't care if that's running around as a dragon-horse-dog-thing or on two legs as long as you guys are happy. That's all I care about."

Alphys nodded quickly. "Me too! I, um, know we're not as close, but... Hearing all this, everything you guys went through... Like Undyne said, I'm glad you trusted us. I... I need to, um... take care of some things first, I think... b-but, if you still want m-my help... w-well, I'll do what I can, okay?"

Papyrus shut his eyes gratefully. "Thank you. Sorry I, er, interrupted today's, things... But! That doesn't mean we can't try again! I won't be defeated yet! I am undefeatable!"

They couldn't help but chuckle at his optimism--it was a welcome sight, and Sans nuzzled him again before flopping dramatically to the cave floor. He hoped no one minded if he called this day a wash and napped.

"Sans, however, may be defeatable. He'd certainly defeated by lots of activity," Papyrus commented, earning more laughter.

"Well hey--maybe we shouldn't do any like, sciency stuff, but maybe we could still hang out, watch a movie or something," Undyne suggested, perking up, and Alphys lit up.

"O-oh! I know it's, um, inside the lab, but! We could watch on my big computer screen! I don't know if you like human TV shows b-but I found a new one in the dump the other day and I've been meaning to watch it, it sounds really interesting--! B-but! If you guys want to watch something else, th-that's fine too, I can watch it some other time--or we can do something else, we don't have to go in the lab, ha ha..."

Papyrus furrowed his brow, deep in thought--then stood. "No. You know what? Let's do it! I want to make memories of the lab that don't involve horrible torture!"

Undyne choked on her laughter. "Oh my god Papyrus. That's one way to tackle it!"

"And this is another!" He pounced on her, and they tussled while Alphys and Sans watched with amusement. Undyne emerged the victor this time, dragging Papyrus behind her in a headlock as she walked up to them, beaming.

"Alright, now that that's settled, should we head back?"

"Sure," Alphys giggled, getting to her feet, "though hopefully it involved less running. And squeezing."

"What, you think the rock's just gonna grow back?" Undyne teased, ignoring Papyrus' grunts as he tried to free himself. "We shouldn't have any trouble getting out, so I don't know what you're worried for."

"F-fair point," Alphys giggled. "Guess we should get started, then..."

Sans looked up from where he still lay on the cavern floor, and did some quick calculations. It would be hard, but...

The room flickered.

They were in Alphys' lab, right in front of the computer. Sans panted--moving that many numbers took a lot out of him. But so did walking all the way back.

"Sans!" Papyrus scolded, finally breaking free of Undyne's grip now that she was too stunned to maintain it. "You can't just keep shortcutting everywhere! It's very lazy! And what's worse, you've subjected all of us to said laziness! You're going to become a bad influence!"

Sans laughed despite being short of breath. He wasn't sure, but it seemed likely Papyrus was the only other person who had even a chance of doing that kind of thing--and he wasn't about to start. Besides, it was too fun to use it to mess with people to ever stop.

"W-well, it, certainly saved us a lot of time," Alphys wheezed. "I'd ask, questions, b-but I don't even know where to start, ha ha... Not to mention he still can't talk..."

Sans snorted. He wasn't giving up _all_ his secrets today.

"Let's. Watch something," Undyne forced out, choosing to ignore the matter for now. "I dunno about anyone else but I'm ready to relax."

"Agreed! And, I have to say, the lab looks... pretty different, so I'm not feeling so scared," Papyrus said, slowly sitting. "It's amazing what cartoon characters in frilly pink dresses will do for the mood of a place!"

"H-hey!"

Sans listened to the banter as they set up the computer and argued over what to watch; he didn't care much either way and knew he'd fall asleep well before the halfway point anyway. All that mattered was that his brother's fear had faded, and he was laughing and playing again. In the very place that had caused him--both of them--so much pain... They were taking something back, after so much had been taken from them.

It felt like a turning point.

But he was too weary to think about it. Alphys had brought down a conveniently-folding couch and tossed them some blankets to get cozy, and they'd all settled in to watch some of her human movie collection. As the opening theme of the first film rose, Sans let his eyes drift closed. There'd be time for serious matters later--and at least for now, there was nothing to fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess this means Alphys and Undyne unlocked the bros' tragic backstory XD
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!


	18. At a Loss for Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus doesn’t miss his brother’s jokes or pranks or anything, no, of course not...

"Sans! Do you know where my copy of 'Puzzles for Inquiring Minds' went? I can't find it but it must be here somewhere!" Papyrus called, digging through the pile of papers on his bedroom floor. He was finally sorting through the mess he'd left, organizing the scattered blueprints and sketches into much neater piles to be filed away later. But he couldn't imagine where that book had gotten to.

"Sans! Did you hear me? ...Are you even home?"

He sighed, and got up to peer into the living room. Ever since Sans had remembered his shortcut ability, he'd been making good use of it, and Papyrus was never sure where he went. Sans never told him. Not that he could. But, to his mild surprise, Sans was dozing on the couch.

"Sans!"

His brother jolted awake, then looked up at him blearily.

"I need your help finding--wait is that it under the couch?" Papyrus leapt down and slid his hand under, withdrawing the battered puzzle book. "Well, I have no idea how that got there, but I suppose, in a way, you still helped me find it. So. Thank? You?"

Sans merely huffed before settling down to sleep again. Papyrus eyed him, then headed upstairs with his book to file it properly. He slid it into place on the shelf, then sat back with brows furrowed. Something was missing... No, there weren't any empty spots left, so it wasn't a book... He looked over to his table and quickly assessed his action figures--they all seemed to be in place too. His things were in order, so why did he expect something more...?

It was quiet.

Sans would've had a joke about the misplaced book. Papyrus curled his tail around his feet, and shut his eyes. It was fine if Sans didn't want to talk! His various warbles and hoots often got the point across well enough, and it still sounded like him, and he still found ways to joke around even if it wasn't wordplay. It was fine--Papyrus wasn't even sure why he missed hearing his brother's dumb jokes and trolling so much. He'd heard them all, seen that spark in Sans' eye as he thought of them, groaned at the most inane reaches of wordplay countless times. He didn't _need_ to hear them again. But... No, Sans would get his voice back in time, there was no point dwelling on it. He took a deep breath, and went back to organizing the rest of his things, humming to himself to break up the silence.

He surveyed his work, and nodded with satisfaction--his books had been fully rearranged, divided by subject and ordered alphabetically. He'd sorted all his blueprints and schematics into folders, and his action figures were aligned into their current teams. He'd moved the rug to cover the spot he'd burnt--he'd see about getting it replaced soon, but for now it was the best he could do. Everything was clean and orderly, just as it should be. He trotted out and headed downstairs.

"Sans! With my bedroom completely refreshed, we should go out! I want to see if I can find any good carpet in the dump, but who knows what else could be there? It's been so long since we looked, there's bound to be something incredible!"

Sans blinked an eye open to study him, but otherwise made no effort to move.

"Come on! It'll be fun!" Papyrus beamed at him, bouncing in place. It seemed to work, because Sans studied him a moment longer, then got up with a yawn, stretched, then hopped to the floor and looked at him expectantly. Well, he wasn't about to let him down. He led the charge out, and glanced back to see Sans was trotting after him dutifully. It was almost like old times, and he took solace in that.

Sans walked closer to him as they passed through Waterfall, and Papyrus noted how he seemed to be scanning every shadow and crevice, eyelights darting. Sans was... nervous? Papyrus slowed his own pace--truth be told, the bottomless chasms and roaring water were setting his instincts off too, but he knew they'd be safe--they'd traveled through here dozens of times, nothing would hurt them. Besides, they were coming up to the wishing room, and Sans had always liked that spot. That would brighten his day--literally.

"Sans! Look up! The stars are especially bright today, look!" he exclaimed when they entered, and darted ahead to take in the sight--a million twinkling crystals embedded in the stone all around them. Their pale light washed everything in a soft blue glow, and he sat to appreciate the atmosphere and give his brother a chance to catch up.

Sans padded up slowly, occasionally glancing at the stars but still looking over his shoulders more until he reached him. Only then did he allow himself to look at the stars for any length of time, but something still made him scan their surroundings every few moments, staring at shadows as if to make sure they wouldn't move. And even when he did glance upwards, he didn't so much look at the stars as look _for_ something--that look of calm, wistful wonder Sans usually wore when he contemplated the universe never appeared.

"Sans? Is something wrong?" Papyrus asked, glancing around himself and wondering if there was something he wasn't picking up on. Nothing looked out of place, nothing smelled wrong--but Sans was acting like they were in danger.

Sans looked up at him briefly, before turning away and uttering a low growl. Heart sinking, Papyrus realized his brother might have slipped--it tracked with how he'd been acting all day. Well, he'd have to get him back on track. What did he usually like to talk about here in the star room? It'd been so long, Papyrus couldn't quite remember... but he had to try!

"Not to worry, brother! We're safe here, and besides, how can you ignore all this? Do you remember when we found that human book about constellations, and we spent all day here trying to find them? We also decided to make our own since humans didn't have any skeleton constellations... Let's see... oh! There it is, the Big Skull! Shining brightly as ever!"

Sans followed his finger, then looked around--he couldn't see the constellation, but at least he was really looking at the stars now.

"You used to tell me about what real stars are, too. These are very pretty, but, you said the real stars are huge burning balls of fire or something, right? And, they're so far away, not even the humans have ever been to one. Um... there's different colors... yellow, white, red, even blue! I wonder if they come in other colors, but I don't remember. There was other cool stuff too, wasn't there?"

Sans looked up at him, then back to the stars. He'd calmed enough to lie down next to him, and seemed to be content just watching as waves of ambient magic flowed through the crystals, making their light waver. It really was amazing, and Papyrus was sure that even if the real stars couldn't be beat, this was a natural wonder all on its own. Who knew how long monsters had been wishing on these, filling them with their hopes and dreams...

He picked one--a bright, steady light that made one of the eyes in the Big Skull--and made a wish of his own.

"Okay Sans, though I'm sure we could stay here stargazing forever, we did have a mission today!" he prompted, standing up. "If you thought that was fun, just wait until we get to the dump!"

Sans crooned, then got up to follow him. He wasn't sure he'd managed to engage him enough, but there'd be plenty more chances, and perhaps he'd set the ball rolling. They continued to weave through the passages and wind down halls, splashing through cold, clear water until finally--they came to a small landing, and a rank smell informed them they'd made it to the dump.

Bad as the smell was, the piles of debris held endless possibilities, and Papyrus darted for the first one he saw. He circled it, sniffing at anything that looked interesting, clawing at pieces that caught his eye. Most of it was truly garbage--old food wrappers, filthy rags, broken plastic shells of electronics well beyond repair. But he found a deflated rubber ball that after some rinsing was fun to toss and shake in his jaws. This excursion was already looking like a success! He tucked it into his satchel and turned to see what luck his brother was having.

Sans was sitting in the middle of the room near where they'd entered, unmoving. He was soaked--in many places the water had come up to his chest, and here it was no different--but he didn't seem to care. Papyrus wasn't sure he would have normally--but seeing him like this didn't ease his worry.

"Sans! Don't just sit there! Come help me find cool garbage!"

Sans started, but didn't move. Papyrus sighed.

"Okay, well, if you just want to sit in the mud that's fine. I'm still going to look around!"

He continued his search, overturning sodden boxes and digging into moldering clothes; his heart leapt with excitement when he found a box of discarded books--but they'd been soaked, and the first one he opened fell apart, its pages illegible. Maybe someone else could take the time or had the skill to salvage them, but he had to move on. The next heap looked quite promising! He leapt onto it, sending a few things sliding, but it already looked lopsided so he wasn't messing up whoever liked to come by and sort the piles into some semblance of order. He could appreciate their devotion to cleanliness in the face of chaos--but there were treasures to find.

He began to dig his claws in, hoping to find such treasure, but something sent up an alert in his mind--a smell? He sniffed again, blocking out the damp stench of the regular garbage to hone in on it. It was faint--old. But somehow familiar, and he dug again to stir it up. It smelled... it smelled...

Like bone.

But there was something else. It was stronger--coming from nearby. Grassy, but withered--he dug more, and uncovered a dried-up stem. He clawed at it, refreshing the scent. Was this the grass smell? Yes, but not regular grass--it smelled just like... golden flowers. Papyrus jerked his head back. He pawed cautiously at the withered vegetation, mind churning. Bone, and golden flower. He stuck his nose back in, just to be sure. Bone, and flower, and old grease and the brand of ketchup Sans liked.

There was no mistaking it. The scents were weeks--maybe months--old, but they lingered. Papyrus looked back up at his brother, who still sat in the cold, swirling water. He remembered how Flowey had lied to Undyne about knowing where Sans was. He remembered how furious Sans had been at the mere mention of a golden flower. He turned the bit of plant--the tip of a vine--over with his claw, noting how the end was torn, and had no doubt. This was where his brother had met Flowey, and it hadn't been the friendly connection Papyrus had hoped.

Papyrus sighed. At least it meant Sans hadn't chosen to leave him all that time ago...

"Okay Sans, we can go home." He hopped from the garbage, splashing down. "I don't think there's much here after all, and, you don't seem to be having fun, so, let's get cleaned up. Why don't we take the ferry? Or, if you really want to get going, we, um, could... just take a shortcut."

Papyrus could hardly believe himself for making the suggestion. But if this place brought back bad memories--ones fresher than their days as experiments--then they didn't need to stay any longer. He trotted to where the water was clear, kicked his hands and feet free of mud and debris, then dunked his snout in to wash the smell of garbage out. Sans merely watched him, and once Papyrus had finished snorting water out of his nose he turned to him.

"Okay, brother! If you were waiting to take us home, you may now do it!"

Sans tilted his head, and Papyrus blinked.

"Don't give me that look! Using a shortcut, naturally. Even if I don't approve, they are quite handy for getting somewhere fast. I know you've cut home from farther away, so this should be easy!"

Sans only continued to give him a confused look. He raised a paw as if to step, but set it back down, uncertain.

"Sans... you can't have slipped this far again, can you?" Papyrus said sadly. He knew it could be a struggle--he'd gone through it himself--but it hadn't been so long ago that Sans had encouraged him to tell Alphys and Undyne their story. He'd been joking, albeit wordlessly, only a few days ago. Papyrus had thought he'd been getting enough stimulation, but... "Maybe today's just a bad day. That's okay! They happen! We can just take the ferry if shortcuts are too much right now."

The journey home was quiet; even the Riverperson only hummed softly as they navigated towards Snowdin. Once they got home, Sans clambered back onto the couch to doze once more, and Papyrus headed up to occupy himself with puzzle design. He needed to keep himself sharp too--if only to figure out how to help his brother. He got out his paper and pencils, and began sketching.

"Sans I think I've done it!" he cheered, bursting from his room some hours later. "This puzzle is going to stump any human who dares attempt it. Look!

He charged down to lay the blueprints out in front of Sans, who was still blinking wearily after being startled awake by his brother for the second time that day.

"I realized I could combine the challenge of a pressure plate lock with those steam vents Hotland is so irritatingly fond of, only I'll use spring-loaded levers instead because I have class--but, anyway, here's the pattern! Isn't is brilliant?"

Sans looked from the paper in front of him to his brother, then back to the paper--but only to nibble playfully at it. Papyrus yanked it away.

"No! You can't eat it!! Ugh! As always, my efforts go unappreciated," he sighed dramatically. "I'll refine the design and present it to Undyne tomorrow. She'll have something to say!"

He ignored the sinking feeling. At least Sans had done something silly. But he couldn't help wishing he'd said something instead.

To Papyrus' relief, it had just been a bad day after all. Sans woke up the next morning, stared at his hands for a bit, then shook himself out before shortcutting out, presumably for breakfast. When he returned, Papyrus was ready with a bag slung over his spines.

"Sans! You should come with me--I'm going to scout out the location for my new puzzle, and I'll need an assistant to hold my things. Surely you can manage that?"

Sans studied him, then uttered a hoot as he shrugged. That was good enough.

"Fantastic! Let's be off then!"

He charged out, kicking up snow, and wasn't shocked to find Sans waiting for him along the way. But he trotted after him once they'd met up, and Papyrus slowed his pace just enough that his brother could keep close. They reached the clearing Papyrus had in mind, and he set the bag down before turning to Sans to relay his brilliant plan.

"We've arrived! It doesn't look like much now... but this field is merely the canvas upon which I, premier puzzle architect, shall paint my latest masterpiece!"

He paused, and Sans opened his mouth--but as usual, the only sound he could make was an odd warble. He seemed disappointed, and Papyrus hoped his own concern wasn't obvious as he continued his monologue

"A-and! So, what I need you to do is hold the map while I survey the area and make sure my build zone is clear. Got it?"

Sans huffed and dipped his head.

"Good! Alright, here's the map. Let's get surveying!"

Sans took the map in his jaws and sat while Papyrus inspected the field. That tree was just barely in the way; whoops, there was a rock there, that was no good--hey, someone had already started a puzzle here ages ago. He'd have to tear that out. He reached into a snow poff and pulled out a little white dog--it yipped at him, and he lowered it back in. He couldn't build his puzzle anywhere near that. He finished his inspection, and headed back to his brother to see how the map looked.

"Alright, let's see... Sans!"

His brother tilted his head.

"You didn't mark any of the obstacles!"

Sans tilted his head the other way, doing his best to look innocent. Papyrus blinked, realization dawning on him. He'd only told Sans to hold the map, not mark it too, and groaned as he smacked a palm across his face.

"Ugh, of course!! Okay. This time, I'll hold the map, and you go find all the stuff that's in my way. It should be easy, since I already found all of them. Give me the map."

Sans passed it back, then laid down.

"No! Sans!! You have to tell me where the old puzzles and tree roots and dogs are so I can avoid them!"

Sans waved a claw in the general direction of the field, grumbling something.

"Saaaans!" Papyrus cried, stomping his foot and earning low, hissing chuckles from his brother. "Oh, I see! This is a game to you! Well, I'll have you know I take my games very seriously! And! I've never been beaten yet! Nyeheheheh!"

He ended up marking the map himself while Sans watched with amusement. He didn't mind--he was just happy Sans was playing with him like he always would. He missed the banter that would usually accompany it, but... after yesterday, he'd take what he could get.

"There, the map has been marked, no thanks to you," he said when he'd finished. "Now I can plot my setup properly. But first, this snow has to go!"

He found himself expecting a pun, but none came, so he instead focused on his magic and summoned long horizontal bones to sweep the field, clearing a wide swath. He summoned another set, and sent them the other way, pushing even more snow away and leaving only a thin dusting over the ground. Time for the final step. He concentrated, and summoned a trio of his special attacks. They fired simultaneously, melting the remaining snow away and leaving the ground steaming.

"Perfect. All set for the site of a truly excellent puzzle. Wouldn't you agree, Sans?"

Sans hooted his approval, and Papyrus recognized the look in his eyes. He must've thought his snow-clearing technique was really cool--he looked proud of him. He'd probably have made some dumb joke about it to hide how he really felt, but he only watched and waited for what he'd do next.

"Okay, I think that's all for today. Help me put up this caution tape so passers-by don't accidentally set foot on the site and mess it up."

The 'caution tape' was just toilet paper with 'CAUTION: BRILLIANT PUZZLE ARCHITECT (PAPYRUS) AT WORK' written on it in marker, but Papyrus was nothing if not resourceful. He set up a perimeter of bones, slotted the paper tube between a pair of his brother's upper and lower fangs, then ran with the free end around his setup a few times and tied it off.

"Well, a job well done, mostly by me," he congratulated as he surveyed his work. "But, it was nice to have you here too, brother."

Sans rumbled in apparent agreement.

"Tomorrow, I'll begin laying everything out. I think I spotted some scrap metal at the dump yesterday that should work quite well... You don't have to come with to get it, I know that'd... be a lot for you..."

Sans just looked at him. Maybe he didn't remember how yesterday had gone.

"But! That's enough for now! Let's go home and have lunch, and then decide what the afternoon is for."

As they walked back, the quiet of Snowdin's forest settled in around them; it was hard to believe they'd once fled into the surrounding woods with the intention of never coming back. Papyrus found himself feeling anxious at the memory, and momentarily quickened his pace before realizing he was leaving Sans behind. He looked back, and saw Sans looking at him curiously.

"Sorry Sans, I just.... We spent a long time out there in the woods, and, while Snowdin is definitely still my ideal location for our base of operations, it's... perhaps a little soon to be frolicking out here again. It won't bother me forever! Don't worry! But I'd like to get home."

Sans crooned sadly, and the next corner they rounded put them right in the living room.

"Oh! Sans! I didn't mean I didn't want to walk... Oh well, I suppose it's too late now..."

The room blinked, and they were back on the road. Sans was smiling at him mischievously.

"Oooh! Sans!!! Cut it out!" he howled, lunging at him to knock him over. Sans sprung out of the way, his true agility on rare display. Papyrus continued to chase after him, managing to succeed only because Sans was in even less shape than usual. He caught up with him quickly and pushed him into a snowbank.

"Now you'll chill out! Nyeh heh heh heh!" Papyrus teased as his brother rose from the drift and shook off.

Sans opened his jaws--but only a low hoot came out, and he paused a moment before giving a resigned shrug. Papyrus felt his heart sink yet again.

"Oh Sans, I know you'll get your voice back soon! You just have to keep trying... but, if you really don't want to talk, I suppose I can tell the jokes for both of us..."

Sans blinked, and uttered an inquiring hoot.

"It's fine, really! All your puns are very easy to replicate, so, I'll have no trouble filling in! It'll be 'snow' problem! Nyeh!"

Sans snorted, looking amused and concerned at the same time.

"What, you think I can't? I never expected I'd get such a cold reception, especially from my own brother!"

Okay, Sans was laughing now, good. He didn't want him to feel bad for not working as hard as he did, even if he _did_ want him to work harder. Sans working hard recently had... not been good.

But it was lonely. Papyrus couldn't deny it anymore. He didn't remember the last time Sans had actually told him a joke even when he'd been able to. And now, sure, he still found ways to be obnoxious and clown around, but there wasn't the banter Papyrus loved. There wasn't the subtle encouragement or occasionally truly thoughtful musings. He was making progress on his new puzzle, but Sans wasn't there to double-check his work and point out oversights with brotherly ribbing.

Papyrus could easily fill the void with his own voice, but it just wasn't the same.

"Geez, and it seems like he still won't even try?" Undyne said when he'd shared his feelings during a sparring match.

"Well, he'll sometimes act like he wants to say something, but, when it doesn't come out right, he just kind of gives up," Papyrus sighed as he deflected a spear. "I've been telling puns in his place, but, I'm tired of the conversation being so one-sided. And I think maybe he is too."

"Aw man," Undyne uttered, finishing her volley. "So, what are you gonna do? Do I need to noogie some sense into him or what?"

"No, no!" Papyrus declined as he set up his attack and sent it at her, "I think he just needs some encouragement, which I am very good at. I'll figure something out! He's bounced back from this kind of thing before, I know he can do it again!"

"Hmm... Well, maybe you should just tell him what you told me," Undyne suggested, finishing an artful dodge around his attack, "and even though I know that's easier said than... said, how else is he supposed to know?"

Papyrus huffed. "That would cut to the chase, wouldn't it. I just have to hope he understands... I'm... not always sure what gets through...."

"He's still slipping sometimes?" Undyne asked sadly, and he nodded but smiled anyway.

"Not for very long! He has bad days and good days, and it's usually more good than bad, but, I can tell it... doesn't really... It's not a thing that worries him, so he doesn't do anything about it."

"Geez, well, sounds like you need to get encouraging him, huh?"

"Yes! Exactly!"

They finished their sparring match and retreated indoors for drinks, discussing the latest nonsense Mettaton had gotten up to and what their next cooking endeavor should be now that they knew about instructions over tea. Papyrus shared the blueprints for his new puzzle--which Undyne thought needed more spikes and fire pits. He'd normally agree, but that wasn't the tone he was going for so he politely disregarded her suggestions. He left her house that evening feeling revitalized; he'd forgotten how nice it was to have a full conversation.

He clattered in, and immediately bristled--he smelled the mess before he saw it. He dashed into the kitchen, where torn and broken containers littered the floor. Sans stood half in the fridge, the shelves askew as he'd forced his way in to scavenge.

"SANS!"

Sans startled, skittering backwards and knocking even more tubs of leftovers to the floor. Pulling free, he stared at Papyrus with eyes wide, his snout stained with the evidence of his crimes. He'd broken into the newly reopened food museum and destroyed it.

"Sans, I can't believe you!" Papyrus scolded, tail lashing. "I'd ask why, but not only do I already know why, it's not like you'd even answer! Ugh! You knew I was going to be back soon, you could have just waited! Or gone to Grillby's like you always do!"

Sans glanced away, then sat with a sorry whimper.

"Fine, but you're helping me clean this up! This is the worst mess of things you've made yet!"

Sans whimpered again, and tried to approach to give an appeasing nuzzle--but Papyrus pushed him away.

"Oh no, not until you clean yourself up too! I can't believe you're my brother sometimes, ugh!!"

Sans backed away, looking defeated. He cast about, then tried to gather up some of the wayward containers, sweeping them into a pile with his claws. He looked up and gave a questioning hoot, but Papyrus snorted.

"No, you can do better than that! Come on, let's get the shelves cleaned off and put back in first."

The whole process took longer than if Papyrus had just done it himself, but Sans had clearly slipped again--hard, this time. He struggled to use his hands instead of his jaws to manipulate the items he'd scattered, didn't understand the order they needed to do things in, and Papyrus kept having to get him back on task. He was so frustrated that when Sans tried to sneak a few more bites, he hissed at him--it stopped Sans on the spot, but he spent the rest of the time worried he'd begun slipping too.

They finally finished the fridge, and Papyrus grabbed a washcloth and his brother's skull to give it a proper scrub; Sans protested only weakly before quieting down and laying still until the ordeal was over. Papyrus tossed the washcloth in with the rest of the towels they'd used to wipe up the fridge, then trotted to the living room with a huff. It'd been a while since he'd been so genuinely frustrated with his brother.

Sans lay on the kitchen floor for a while before finally getting to his feet slowly. He plodded into the living room, saw Papyrus had taken the couch to watch TV, and settled to the floor nearby. Papyrus didn't want to talk to him. He hadn't even done anything that bad or surprising--the fridge was a beacon of temptation for a monster who liked food as much as Sans did. But he wasn't even trying to resist, or be more like his true self, even when everything had otherwise gone back to normal. It felt like he didn't care--about himself, or about him. And that was what had Papyrus upset.

The following day remained tense. Papyrus was still frustrated, and ignored his brother while he bustled around the house and got ready to continue working on his puzzle, paying no mind when he hooted an inquiry at him. He couldn't even tell if Sans was with it today or not, and didn't want his help anyway. He hurried out, and threw himself into puzzle construction.

At one point, he felt a presence--someone watching him. His instincts told him to look, it could be danger--but he refused, focused on digging the trench for an electrical line. He had work to do, and he wasn't going to let anyone distract him. He'd forgive his brother eventually--it wasn't really Sans' fault he was like this. But right now, Papyrus was tired of having a beast for a brother.

He finished digging out the placements for his pressure pads, and wiped his claws in the snow before picking up the tools he'd brought and heading for home. There were tracks in the fresh powder--so Sans _had_ been out here at some point. Papyrus huffed. Who knew what he'd come back to this time.

But he opened the door and found everything in order. There were no new smells, and Sans was laying on the couch, watching TV. He got up when Papyrus entered, trilling a greeting--but Papyrus sighed and trotted past. Sans watched him go, and was quiet the rest of the evening, even as Papyrus went about making dinner. There was nothing to say.

Papyrus found the house empty when he got up the next morning.

"Sans?"

His room was empty, as were the living room and kitchen, and a pit of dread formed within Papyrus' ribs. Had he pushed him away? Had he fled, for the final time, to live as the beast he thought himself to be? Had he lost him for good...? He paced, and that's when he finally noticed the sheet of paper on the floor where Sans had laid the other night. For a brief moment Papyrus considered the possibility his brother had become stationery... then realized it was a pun, and had to choke back his own laughter. He'd have to tell Sans that joke at some point, provided they could get everything between them sorted out. He approached the paper, and studied it.

It was crudely drawn--Sans had never been artistically inclined like he was, and he hadn't been practicing his manual dexterity, so the rough, unsteady lines were to be expected. But the scene was clear--Sans had drawn stars along the top of the page, and a line at the bottom representing the ground. There was even a scribbled out attempt at an echo flower. It was the wishing room, and in the center of the page, he'd drawn a little stick figure of himself looking up. Was that where he'd gone...?

Papyrus set out at a brisk trot. The wishing room wasn't far, it'd be easy to find out what his brother was up to. He wove past other early risers and leapt over bridge seed puzzles before finally arriving at the cavern, eyes darting. It wasn't a large room, so his brother had to be close... _There!_ The soft light reflecting off his bones almost made Sans appear to glow. He was sitting near the far end of the passage, looking up at the stars just as he'd drawn. Papyrus approached slowly, unsure what his brother was planning--it was just as likely a prank as it was something genuine.

Sans saw him approaching, and the relief that crossed his face was clear. Maybe this wasn't a prank. He stood as Papyrus drew near, and for a moment, they simply faced one another. Sans opened his mouth.

"hhhheya brro," he rasped.

Papyrus tackled him.

"SANS!" Papyrus yelled, but this time it was out of joy. "You--you did it! You're talking again! I'm so--it's--Sans!!!"

Sans chuckled, not even trying to fight the pile he'd been wrapped up in. "ssstill hard, but, tryin'. wanted to. sssay sorry. for letting you down."

Papyrus extracted himself enough to look his brother in the eyes. "Oh Sans, I'm--I'm sorry for being so cross with you. It, just... I missed you! A lot! But it was like you didn't even want to try..."

Sans thudded his skull against his brother's chest. "sssorry. did want to sometimmmess. didn't want to... a lot. hard to choose. easy to... not think about it. but. like i ssaid. couldn't let you down."

"Oh Sans... I'm very, very glad that you tried! And! Succeeded!! In only one night? Normally you'd be sound asleep!"

"couldn't," Sans replied, his smile seeming bittersweet. "not with you mad. so, went out, howled, made noises i didn't know i could. glad i didn't sleep."

"W-well, I'm glad too. And, um... will you keep trying?"

"listen, i, uhhh, think i better. maybe it's easier to... not deal with everything, but... it's leaving you hanging, and, i can't do that to my bro."

"And you made me come all the way out here just to tell me this?"

Sans shrugged, finally pulling free to shake himself out. "dunno. felt right. think you tried to talk to me here a little bit ago or ssssomething?"

"I did! I'm glad you remember!"

"yeah. stars. i remember you talking about the stars, and how it was the calmest i felt that day. so, coming back here... just made sense."

"Wowie. That's very poetic, Sans."

"hey, i'm good for more than just puns sometimes," Sans said with a wink, and for the first time in ages, Papyrus felt like he really had his bother back

"Hard to believe as it is, it's true," Papyrus agreed, standing as well. "What may also be hard to believe is how much I've missed said puns."

"well, i'll do my best to make up for lost time," Sans replied lightly as they started to walk back. "just might take me a bit to get... star-ted."

"Oh my god," Papyrus said, but couldn't stop smiling. "Clearly, it will not."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans finally has his voice back! If anything can pull him out of a funk, it's his brother, one way or another ^^
> 
> Aaaand this is the last chapter I had written ahead of time! I hope I can get the next done for next Sunday--it is started, at least! So, just keep an eye on things and check back soon ^^


	19. Another Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Undyne suggests visiting Asgore to see if he can recall anything about the brothers’ past--but they need Alphys’ insight, and she’s late to the meeting...

"I apologize for failing my duties, sir," Undyne said, voice amplified by her helmet. She stood stiffly at attention, braced for whatever Asgore would say next. He was kind, and her mentor, but she'd abandoned her responsibilities. "I put a personal matter before my oath to protect all monster kind, and I accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate."

Asgore furrowed his brows, perplexed. "This is about the 'beast' incident, right? The rogue monster that turned out to be your friends?"

"Yes. I spent some time afterwards to search for them, to exclusion of all my other work."

Asgore sat back in his throne, stroking his beard. "You still had the rest of the guard on duty, correct? And you found them in the end... So, it all worked out, didn't it?"

Undyne sighed. "Sir... you really are a big softy."

"Well, I can hardly lose my best captain!" Asgore said with a smile. "Your dedication is something to aspire to--I hate to think what may have happened had you given up on your friends, and I'm sure they're happier for it as well. You did the right thing."

"Thank you, your majesty," Undyne replied, bowing her head. "Um, with that out of the way... I was wondering if I could ask you something."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Well..." Undyne started, then glanced around the room before stepping forward and continuing in a lower voice. "It turns out... the brothers are beasts because of something an old Royal Scientist did. We've--Alphys and I--have been wondering if there's anything you'd know about it."

Asgore blinked, then dipped his head as he thought. "No, I... I don't recall anything of the sort. Perhaps, if I met them, it would jog some memories."

Undyne grinned. "I think we can arrange that. Any particular time?"

Asgore thought. "Well, I am not up to much today... Perhaps after your patrol?"

"That should be fine. I think Alphys will want to come too, if that's alright."

"Of course! If she's helping with this conundrum, I think it's all the better," Asgore agreed. "If it's decided, then I shall see you later!"

"Yes sir, I'll let everyone know. And... thank you."

"Of course, captain. I'd have done the same thing."

Undyne nodded, then saluted before marching from the throne room. She should have known Asgore was too forgiving to hold her search-and-rescue stint against her. She'd been working harder than ever, trying to make up for her shortcoming--even sorting through old paperwork she usually got someone else to do. But... if it made no difference to Asgore, maybe she could lighten up on the extra patrols and have time for her friends again. With Sans and Papyrus not needing her help anymore, it'd been a few weeks since she'd seen them--and the last time she'd talked to Alphys had been during one of her shifts, and she'd had to cut her off. It sucked, and she was looking forward to having a social life again. The moment her patrol was over for the day, she pulled out her phone.

"Alphys, hey! Listen, I know it's short notice, but the king wants to meet with us--you, me, and the bros to discuss what's up with them."

"Uhhh what, y-you mean, like right now? H-how short-notice is this?" Alphys stammered on the other end, and Undyne regretted putting her on the spot.

"Er, yeah. I mean, I'm sure Asgore wouldn't mind waiting a bit--I have to tell the brothers too, and then we all gotta head to the castle... so, maybe in half an hour?"

"I was about to--w-well, I guess I don't have to do that _now_ \--um, so should I bring the files on what we know so far?"

"That might be a good idea. Asgore said he doesn't remember anything about it," Undyne replied. "Which is odd, but I guess so is everything else about this."

"Y-yeah... okay, let me get some things together, and I'll meet you guys there!"

"Great! I know we'll get to the bottom of this--alright, see you soon!"

Undyne hung up, then dialed a different number. "Hi Papyrus! Are you guys busy?"

"Undyne! An excellent choice in calling me--what can I help you with?" he replied, and she chuckled.

"Actually, I think we're gonna be helping you--Asgore wants to see you guys, and figure out if he can remember anything about... uh, what happened to you. He's ready to see us now, so head on up to the castle--Alphys is coming too, and we're all gonna meet there in about twenty minutes."

"Wowie! King Fluffybuns himself! Alright, I'll wrangle Sans and see you guys there!"

"Okay, see you in a bit."

With her calls made, Undyne set off for home to get out of her armor, then for New Home. ...Wow, Asgore was really bad at names. But, it didn't matter--he was a great leader otherwise, and he was going to help them figure out how the mess with the skeleton brothers had ever started. She marched toward the castle purposefully, wondering what they might discuss. The castle soon loomed overhead, and she grinned as she saw the brothers waiting just outside.

"Hey guys! Looks like you made good time."

"It's hard not to when your brother decides he's done enough walking for the day," Papyrus replied with a huff, glaring down at his brother, who chuckled.

"listen, i've had enough action for a lifetime bro. think i'm gonna slack off even more."

"Sans! That! Is almost a fair point, but I think even _you_ know you can become too lazy! So I won't allow it!"

"fine, fine. think of it as me saving my energy for important stuff then."

Papyrus snorted, then turned back to Undyne. "Well, the main thing is that we're all here. Right?"

Undyne glanced around--she hadn't spotted Alphys. "I think so--Alphys must have gone inside already. Shall we?"

"We shall!" Papyrus declared, leading the way in.

Asgore was waiting for them in his throne room, perking up from tending flowers when they entered. "Ah, howdy everyone! I was just finishing up a little gardening. I hope you're all well--once Doctor Alphys arrives, we'll get started."

Undyne frowned. "She's not here yet?"

Asgore pursed his lips as he shook his head. "No, I assumed you'd all be arriving together. She's not with you?"

"No..." Undyne trailed, "but, maybe she's just running a little late. It was pretty short notice, and she said she had to get some stuff together..."

"Well, let's wait for her then. I don't believe there's any rush," Asgore said, turning back to the flowers, picking off dead stems and sprinkling water as he puttered along. "Let me know if you would like tea. It would not take long to make at all, and I always find it comforting when discussing... serious matters."

"That is an excellent idea," Papyrus replied, glancing to his brother. "It would be lovely to sit and tell this tale around the fireplace while we all drink flavored leaf water together!"

Undyne noticed that neither of the brothers--but particularly Sans--had stepped far into the throne room. Sans looked tense, and Papyrus was casting concerned glances... Oh. Golden flowers...

"Yeah, I could go for some too," she agreed, and Asgore smiled and set his watering can down.

"Wonderful! Go sit anywhere you like, I'll start the water boiling."

The trio headed back through the hall up to Asgore's home while he brought up the rear. Undyne picked a spot at the table, and the brothers followed her lead as best they could--most chairs weren't exactly made to accommodate dragon-horse-lizard things. But they managed to get settled, and Undyne noted they looked more relaxed now that they weren't surrounded by flowers. Only a few more minutes passed, and Asgore carried out a small tray with the steaming kettle and five dainty teacups. He gave one to each of them, leaving the fifth empty.

"I do hope Alphys arrives soon," he said, finally taking his seat. "It has been a little while since I spoke to her... But she seems to be very busy with her experiments, and I do not want to impose."

"Yeah... I'll text her and see what's up," Undyne said, pulling out her phone and sending a brief message, then sipped her tea. Asgore was always really good at getting it to just the right temperature.

"So," Asgore began, "are you boys... doing alright? I do not know the full story yet, but, Undyne told me a little... It sounds very frightening to go through something like that."

"We're doing much better now!" Papyrus replied brightly, perking up. "It was scary at first just because we didn't know what to do... and while we still don't know what to do, we're not afraid of people hunting us down anymore!"

Asgore blinked. "Er, yes, that's good to hear. I'll do my best to help you. How are things in Snowdin? I do not get out there very often."

Papyrus happily began filling him in; after listening for a while, Sans turned to her.

"nothing from alph yet?"

"No... that's weird, she's usually pretty quick. It's like her phone is glued to her hand some days," Undyne joked. "She hates phone calls, but, maybe I should try that next. Hold on."

She dialed, and listened to it ring--it picked up. "Hey, Alphys! I--"

The call dropped. Or had been hung up. Either way, it had cut off without a word, and Undyne frowned before dialing again. This time it rang and rang until finally going to voicemail, and Undyne left a message. "Hey Alphys! We're all waiting for you at Asgore's place--is everything okay? Call me back soon."

"We will give her a little more time," Asgore said, refreshing everyone's tea. "Perhaps something came up."

So they waited. Sans dozed off with his head resting on the table while Papyrus and Asgore got into a discussion about puzzle history; Undyne found herself checking her phone every few minutes, but the result was always the same: no new messages. An hour after their meeting was supposed to begin, she stood.

"I'm going to check on her."

"Do you believe something's wrong?" Asgore questioned, looking worried, and Undyne grimaced.

"She's never taken this long to reply to a message... Even if she just got distracted, I wanna check up on her."

"Very well. Brothers, you can stay here if you like..."

Papyrus rose as well. "I'll go too! Between the two of us, we're sure to find her!"

"ok bro. i'll stay here. as long as asgore doesn't mind me monopolizing the spot in front of the fire."

"Oh, I don't mind. I was going to do a little tidying, if that's alright."

"guess it's settled."

"Okay. See you guys later then," Undyne said, then headed for the door with Papyrus in tow. She broke into a jog, heading for the elevator that would take them right to the Core's upper entrance, and they'd reach the lab from there. Papyrus kept pace easily, and occasionally sniffed the ground to see if Alphys had come this way--but he'd found nothing yet.

They made it to the lab, with neither incident nor finding Alphys--it was like she hadn't left at all. Undyne exchanged a look with Papyrus, then stepped forward. The door slid open, and she cautiously entered. The lights were still on...

"Alphys? Hello? It's me and Papyrus, we came to check up on you... Uh, 'me' being Undyne of course..."

Only her own voice echoed. Undyne frowned, and headed further in. Papyrus put his nose to work, sweeping along the floor to find the freshest trail, which led him to the door marked with a bathroom sign.

"She's, in there," he said, stopping just short of it.

"The bathroom...?"

His tail twitched. "It's. There's one down there, yes."

"Down... Papyrus? I know you said you were... born here, but... what are you talking about?"

He stared at the door. "This floor is just the nice part of the lab. There's a lot more floors down below. She must be on. One of those."

She noted how stiff he looked, and grunted. "Well, we have to find her. If she got in trouble somehow... Well, I'd want someone to come looking for me. I know you don't like it here, but... I won't let anything happen to you either. Come on."

She stepped forward again, but the door didn't open this time. She tried again, waved at it, but nothing happened. It was locked. Well, that wasn't about to stop her--she took a few paces back, then leapt at the door from a running start, landing a flying kick directly in the center. The metal buckled and folded back under her assault, revealing a short hallway leading to an elevator. She landed on her feet, and turned to see a very startled Papyrus looking back at her.

"...I'll fix it later. Let's go find Alphys."

He took a deep breath, then followed her into the elevator. "Maybe she'll keep it as a testament to your frightening muscles, Undyne."

Undyne snorted. "Maybe. Now, which floor do you think we should try first? Start from the top and work our way down?'

"If she's in trouble like you think, that could take too long! Let's see..." Papyrus stepped closer to the control panel and narrowed his eyes. "A-ha! ... I have no way of knowing either."

"You could probably smell her though, right? We just need to find which floor has the strongest scent," Undyne suggested, and he perked up.

"Of course! Down we go!" He pressed the first button--but nothing happened. "Hmm. That wasn't as timely as I hoped."

He tried again, then the next one, and the next--but got the same result.

"Do any of these work?!" Undyne groused, and ran her hand down the side of the panel Papyrus hadn't tried. The elevator shuddered--and finally moved. "Hey! I got it!"

"Good job! Hopefully that's the only floor of this horrible place we'll have to check!"

Undyne gave a bittersweet smile. "Yeah."

The elevator finally slowed to a stop and the door slid open. They stepped out into a dimly lit hall, and Papyrus sniffed.

"Huh. I don't think this floor looks familiar, actually. The good news is, Alphys is definitely here. But..."

"But what?" Undyne asked warily.

"I can smell... Oh, it's probably just the smell of science! Come on, she must be close!"

Undyne watched him bound ahead, noting he looked tense again. He probably just didn't like being down here, but... She summoned a spear just in case, and followed the sound of his footsteps as they clicked on the tile floor. It was eerie in these halls... nothing like the bright, airy lab she knew. Did Alphys really work in a place like this? It didn't seem like her.

But maybe it _was_ like they guy she'd replaced.

She quickened her pace to jog beside Papyrus as he did the sleuthing, and they swept through the darkened passages together. They passed a heavy blast door, and through a room full of beds; Undyne wondered at them--Alphys was always talking about robotics and computers, and didn't have assistants... But Papyrus skirted them, heading for the next doorway.

They were traversing a long straight hallway when a fluid, pale gray mass burst from the floor. Papyrus screeched, backpedaling straight into Undyne and knocking the wind out of her as she tumbled to the floor. She struggled to get up--then realized Papyrus was now standing over her protectively even as he rattled with fear. He hissed, a deep threatening sound Undyne had never heard from him, and the strange mass quivered--but didn't move. Papyrus planted his feet and inhaled, light gathering in his jaws before firing a beam of magic straight into the thing's center--and then it split into three.

Or was it in three places at once?

Undyne scrambled up, panting as she tried to get a read on her opponents. They were unlike any monster she'd ever seen, a slimy heap of tendrils and faces and--a glowing eyelight met her gaze, and she suddenly realized there was a pit in her stomach. Actually, this thing looked _too_ familiar now--

It made a horrible electronic screech, and Papyrus yelped. He fired another beam, and Undyne snapped out of her horror. However horrible she thought this thing was, it was even more distressing to her friend. She readied her spear, selected the same entity Papyrus had attacked--and yelled.

_Its health bar was broken._

Whatever damage Papyrus had dealt had only increased this thing's vitality--it had broken the readout. They couldn't hurt it. If they couldn't figure out how to spare it, it could...

"Papyrus! I know this is weird coming from me, but, we can't fight these things!"

It was the entities' turn. They attacked together--or perhaps only one of them did--filling the bounds of the board with strange smiling faces. Undyne did her best to dodge them, only to look over and see Papyrus curled up, unmoving, and quaking with fear. Not good. As soon as it was their turn again--he fled the battle. Undyne looked from him to the other, grit her teeth, and followed suit.

"Papyrus!"

She came to a crossroads, and decided to keep going straight, hoping it was what Papyrus had done and that he hadn't slipped. Something about whatever that _thing_ was had made him react instinctively--she'd never known him to lose control in battle like that. Bringing him along was starting to seem like a really bad idea.

"Papyrus?" she called again, slowing down as she entered another room. The walls were lined with fans, which circulated fresh air in. But that wasn't what caught her eye--a pair of orange lights shone at her from the end of the hall, and below the hum of the fans, she could hear bones rattling. Papyrus was curled up at the far wall, and he whimpered as she slowly approached.

"Hey punk, I'm here. I won't let that thing touch you again. C'mere."

She knelt, and was nearly knocked over as he barreled into her. She adjusted her footing to support him better, and she waited until his shivering had calmed down to speak again.

"Do... Can you explain anything about what that was?"

He shuddered again, and opened his jaws to speak; at first, only a dry rasp came out, but he cleared his throat and tried again. "I... it..."

"It's okay, take your time."

He panted, then shut his eyes and took a few deep breaths. "They.. Th-they were... I could have been that."

Undyne flinched. "What?!"

"I could smell it--bone, but wrong--all wrong. Th-their voice--their voices--almost, a-almost..."

She rubbed his back, and he shuddered again.

"I--I'm sorry I panicked, Undyne. I know you expect better of me. They just brought back... bad memories."

"Hey, shh, it's fine. Those things freaked me out too. We came down here to find Alphys, not fight... that. Are you sure she's past... where those things were?"

He heaved a tremulous sigh. "The scent trail was really strong..."

"I was afraid of that..." Undyne said, then her expression hardened. "If they hurt her, I'll... Stay here. I'll go on ahead."

"I... N-no, I should come with. I was just surprised earlier, it's fine!" Papyrus said, standing.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea..."

"If it's too much, I'll just run away again. It's fine! Alphys needs us!!"

Undyne sighed. "Okay. Stay close."

They left the ventilation room behind, with Undyne leading this time. Spear at the ready, she walked slowly, watching for signs of movement and ears straining for the slightest sound. They passed the junction and kept going--it wouldn't be long before they arrived at the spot they'd been attacked at again.

It was so quiet she almost didn't catch it--but far ahead, there was a shuffling sound. She held out her arm, and they stopped to listen. It kept coming--a steady, quiet slap-slap on the tile far ahead. Footsteps... Undyne inhaled, and relaxed as it dawned on her.

"Alphys?"

"A-ah... Undyne..." Her voice sounded weak, and Undyne let her spear dissolve as she ran forward.

"Are you okay?! Are you hurt?! Papyrus and I ran into this crazy-- _thing_ , and it--"

"Amalgamate," Alphys interrupted. "You met an amalgamate."

"Wh..."

"Follow me... there's... There's some people you should meet..."

Alphys began shuffling back the way she came, and Undyne and Papyrus exchanged looks. She seemed... downtrodden. Undyne frowned, and followed her down the hall, still on edge should the amalgamate return. The hallway finally opened into another room, and Undyne heard Papyrus stumble to a stop behind her--she couldn't blame him, considering there was a huge machine hanging in the middle of the room, its red outer shell shaped... not too differently from his own skull. It gave Undyne that pit in her stomach again, but Alphys had slipped into a small side room.

"Papyrus, come on. This one's a machine, it can't hurt you."

"... Smells like... more bad memories," he uttered, shivering as he scratched at a spot on his arm. But she put her hand on his shoulder, and they headed into the side room together.

Alphys was surrounded by the white shifting beings. Undyne yelled, summoning an array of spears--but Alphys had leapt, balancing on the back of a couch with arms raised. At least, she balanced briefly--not built for acrobatics, her tail wasn't enough to counterbalance her outstretched arms, and she pitched forward with a squeak. Undyne dispelled her spears and lunged, catching the little lizard just in time.

"Alphys, what the hell is going on?! What--what are these?!"

"I-it's the amalgamates, th-they're friendly! Don't worry!" Alphys quickly explained, and Undyne set her down.

"One of them attacked us--"

"It's not here," Papyrus spoke up, and she turned to him before scanning the room. There was a vaguely dog-shaped mass, a heap of teeth and muscles, a spindly birdlike thing, and what looked like a snowdrake at first but... did it have... vegetoids for eyes? Undyne grimaced. But Papyrus was right--the creature that had attacked them wasn't here.

"O-oh, you must have met the memoryheads," Alphys explained. "th-they come and go a lot... I'm sure they didn't mean to hurt you."

"They scared Papyrus," Undyne replied. "Why are you here? What's going on?"

Alphys shrank, claws fidgeting as she cast her eyes to the ground. "I... I... I don't think I should help..."

"Why not? You're a great scientist--"

"She made us like this." "She made us like this." "She made us like this."

"She made us like this." "She made us like this." "She made us like this."

"She made us like this." "She made us like this." "She made us like this."

"She made us like this." "She made us like this." "She made us like this."

Undyne flinched at the cacophony of voices--the toothy creature had spoken. Alphys looked like she wanted to disappear. The thin bird spoke next, three voices at once.

> "She tried her best"
> 
> "She wanted to help."
> 
> "Ribbit..."

"Sno... wy..." the snowdrake said weakly in the corner.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I... I didn't want anyone to find out about this--what happened here," Alphys continued. "I made a horrible mistake, and ruined these people's lives, and lied--lied to you, to everyone... so... You should just. Forget about me..."

"What?!" Undyne uttered; she was still trying to sort out just what had happened down here, and she was no good at emotional stuff. But she'd have to try--she hated the look on Alphys' face. It was the same one she'd worn just before they'd first met. She sighed, and relaxed. "Look Alphys, I don't know what's going on here, but, I don't care--I'm just glad you're okay! We were worried something horrible had happened to you!"

Alphys looked up blearily. "Really?"

"Yes! You're our friend!" Papyrus spoke up cheerfully, and Alphys managed a weak smile.

"W-well... If you hear what I did... you won't want to be."

Undyne dropped to her knees and cupped Alphys cheeks in her hands. "Alphys. You're SMART, you're PASSIONATE, you've figured stuff out in hours what I never could in a million years. No matter what you did, I'm GLAD you're here, working to help monsters even if you don't always know what's gonna work. We'll figure out what to do--together."

"You mean it?" Alphys said, somewhat muffled and clearly turning pink under Undyne's hands.

"Of COURSE I do! That's what we're gonna do for the bros, right? You think this only applies to them?"

"W-well... I-I... didn't think... I..." She trailed, then placed her hands over Undyne's. "Th-thank you, Undyne. I'm... I'm really, really glad you guys came here. Other wise, I might have... W-well. I wouldn't have helped anyone that way. I came down here because I thought I'd made up my mind to do the right thing, but... I started thinking about it and... couldn't... couldn't bear the thought of losing... losing your friendship. But..."

She sniffled, but shut her eyes, focused. "After Sans and Papyrus told us what happened to them, I knew I needed to come clean about the amalgamates if I wasn't going to be a huge hypocrite. I... I have to tell Asgore that the experiment failed. I have to... I have to let these guys go home to their families. I've been so afraid of the consequences, but... I don't want to be like the Royal Scientist who came before me."

"You can't! You're not a skeleton!" Papyrus offered helpfully, and Alphys snorted.

"N-no, that's true. But I mean, like him in the 'bad scientist' way. I kept what had happened a secret from everyone..."

"Hey, I'm just proud you're willing to own up to your mistakes," Undyne said, pulling her into a hug. "I'm sure everyone will understand... once you explain it."

"Y-yeah... I... I wanted to do that when we met up with Asgore tonight, but, it was such short notice... I chickened out."

"Well, lucky for you we're here to un-chicken you," Papyrus said, seeming much perkier now. "You know old King Fluffy, he's a softy about everything! And, I'm sure all your melty friends will be happy to return home--I know the feeling and everyone will be so happy to see them again!"

Alphys smiled, a bit more genuine now. "I-I think, as long as you guys are there, I can explain everything. But... o-okay. H-hold on a sec."

She drew back, and turned to the amalgamates. "O-kay guys... As you all just heard... I'm finally going to tell the king what happened, and then, your families. I think you should wait here just a little longer, but, you'll... you go home soon. Th... Thank you for... for waiting so long. I hope you can forgive me. But it's time this was over."

The snowdrake shuffled from the corner, leaving a trail of sludge. "S..... no.... wy....?"

"Yes. Mrs. Snowdrake, you'll see your son soon," Alphys said, looking like she might cry. "You just--just wait a little longer, please."

"We'll watch some movies." "We'll watch some movies." "We'll watch some movies."

"We'll watch some movies." "We'll watch some movies." "We'll watch some movies."

"We'll watch some movies." "We'll watch some movies." "We'll watch some movies."

The doglike amalgamate wagged its excitement indicator.

> "Have courage."
> 
> "Ribbit ribbit."
> 
> "You finally got it."

"Th-thanks guys. I... I'll be back soon, I promise" Alphys said, then turned to her friends. "Okay. Let's go."

The journey back upstairs was much less tense, and it wasn't long before they were finally in open air and on their way back to Asgore's castle. Undyne kept a reassuring hand on Alphys' shoulder, and she tried not to steal too many glances at her; she'd have to do this again when they were just... hanging out. Yeah. That'd be nice...

"So Alphys, if I have deduced things correctly, you created the amalgamates," Papyrus began, "on accident of course, but, I have to ask... where did you get skeletons!?"

"Wh-what?"

"Papyrus..."

"I'm just wondering, because, um, if there are other skeletons and my brother and I never knew about them... um..."

"O-oh, uh... no, I didn't have any skeletons in my test group," Alphys explained, scratching her head. "Why do you ask?"

"W-well, it's just, um... the amalgamate Undyne and I fought, was... skeletons... sort of..."

Alphys' brow furrowed. "Th... how's that possible?"

"I was hoping you knew." Papyrus said, grin tight. "It's not important! Let's meet back up with Sans and the king! They must be wondering where we are!"

Undyne watched him trot ahead, then spoke in a low voice. "It really freaked him out, enough that he slipped, just a little. When I met back up with him and we talked... he said it was something he could've become. That they smelled like bone, but... all wrong."

Alphys studied him as she thought. "I... I can't be sure, but if that's true... It's only a hypothesis, but, that means the memoryheads aren't from my experiments."

"They're from _his_."

"Y-yeah."

"Alphys... I'm really glad you want to help them. You're a good person, you know?"

She wilted a little. "I... I'm trying to take your word for it."

Undyne squeezed her shoulder, and they continued on. The guards at the castle gate saluted her as they entered, and then it was a matter of making it back to Asgore's house. The king welcomed them in, giving them each a hug as he explained how worried he'd been. Sans was not so concerned--he was blinking awake after napping in front of the fire all evening, and slowly shuffled to join everyone else at the table as they settled in.

Undyne sat next to Alphys, and squeezed her hand as she took a deep breath--and began explaining her experiment and how it had all gone wrong. Asgore listened, eyes wide--then glistening as he listened to her struggles, and Alphys found her other hand engulfed by his as he leaned across the table, moved to tears.

"Oh Doctor Alphys, I had no idea! You should have said something, oh--there there, it is alright, we will get it all sorted out. I'm very glad everyone is alright, even if it didn't turn out like we'd hoped."

"S-so... you're not... mad that I failed? And lied about it for so long?" Alphys asked timidly, and he sat back with a heavy sigh.

"I do wish you'd told me how things were going, but... to be honest, I know how you feel. I do not want war or power, but... The people need hope, and I promised them freedom. I do not feel I can go back on my war declaration when that is what has given everyone something to work for. It is.. difficult to do the right thing... especially when so many people are counting on you."

Alphys blinked, rubbing at her own eyes. "Th... Thank you, Asgore. Everyone should be able to go back home... I can only hope their families will take it as well as you did."

Asgore smiled. "Alphys, though they may be changed, they did not Fall Down thanks to you. I think everyone should be very happy about that."

"Y-yeah. I guess... I guess I g-got too caught up in thinking about it as a failure, and not recognizing the small bit of good that came out of it," Alphys surmised, and Asgore patted her shoulder gently.

"That is how you keep moving forward, my dear. Speaking of moving forward... if that is the full story there... I think it's time we discussed the brothers' predicament. Here, I will make us fresh tea."

He got up, and Undyne squeezed Alphys in a side-hug.

"See? We told you it'd be okay."

"Y-yeah. I... Thanks again. For being there for me."

Undyne caught the looks the brothers exchanged with one another, but they said nothing so neither would she. "Of course, Alphys. Anytime."

Asgore returned with more tea, and spoke as he poured and passed a cup to everyone. "Now then, with a nice fresh cup, tell me this other story, about the beast of Snowdin and how it wasn't really a beast but two nice young men with a strange ability."

Between the four of them, they relayed the different parts of the story. Asgore tried to stay resolute, but on hearing how the brothers had separated, struggled with powerful instincts, and reunited, his eyes were glistening again. Once they got through explaining their origin, the dam had burst once more, and he dabbed at his eyes with a lavender kerchief. He managed to listen to the rest without openly sobbing, but had to take a few deep breaths to steady himself once they'd finished. He rose, and knelt. The brothers turned to face him, and he cupped their heads in his hands.

"Sans, Papyrus... I am so, so sorry that you both have suffered so much, seemingly from my orders to find some way to gain an advantage over the humans. I do not remember this former scientist, but had I known what he was doing--creating living things and using them as tools--I would not have allowed it. I hope you can forgive me."

"It's okay," Papyrus spoke up, raising his head from Asgore's palm to place a paw on it. "No one knew about it, even the people who worked for him."

"you shouldn't blame yourself for the actions of someone else who took advantage of your trust. it was their choice to do that, not yours. that said... maybe you should keep in better touch with your scientists going forward," Sans added, glancing over at Alphys, who nodded in agreement.

"I'll admit, science has never been my strong point..." Asgore replied, drawing back and scratching his beard in embarrassment. "I'm afraid it all just goes over my head, so, I've had to trust what my scientists say... Perhaps I am a fool..."

"In my opinion, it takes a special kind of jerk to do what Gaster did," Undyne spoke up. "Alphys didn't want anyone mad at her--she already had your permission for the experiment. Gaster... he took your orders and twisted them into meaning he could do whatever he wanted, and kept exactly what he was doing from you the whole time."

Asgore nodded gravely. "Indeed. I wish I could help you boys more, as you had hoped, but..."

"s'ok, it's good enough to know you wouldn't be down with the whole 'living weapon' thing."

"No... though war makes us do terrible things... creating life and treating it so callously is inexcusable. If there is anything I can do for you two, please let me know. Alphys, seeing as the Determination experiment is over... you have my permission to work on whatever project strikes you as most promising. If that is helping the brothers, that is quite alright."

"Th-thank you, sir."

"Fantastic! This will be Alphys' most important assignment yet, because the assignment is me!" Papyrus beamed, tail lashing with excitement. "And my brother too of course, but, he's not going to be joining the Royal Guard when all this is over."

"Hey, you still gotta get through me," Undyne laughed. "Let's work on getting you back to your old self, then we can talk about recruitment."

"Oh fine," Papyrus sighed. "But, it's still happening."

Asgore chuckled. "I'm sure. Well my friends, I do not know if it has been a pleasant evening, so to speak... but I'm very glad you came and told me all this. May we all be able to move forward more wisely, and you have luck with your efforts."

"I-I think I'm going to find out what I can from the old labs. There seem to be sections I've n-never seen... M-maybe I can salvage data from the old drives, and have some numbers to compare to the brother's current states--maybe even... maybe even figure out how Gaster was able to do this at all. A monster's body is tied to their soul, so for a monster to be able to change their body... A-anyway, I need data. S-so, that's where I'll start."

"I cannot begin to fathom what that entails, but... I can only trust that you know what to do," Asgore said, giving a small smile.

"W-well, I'll do my best to summarize the reports once I have something," Alphys said, and he patted her head.

"Alright my friends, it is getting late and I am afraid I must retire for the evening. Please take care, and let me know how it goes."

"You can count on us," Undyne said, saluting him, and the others nodded.

"Good. I will see you soon."

They finally left, and Alphys sighed with audible relief. "I was soooo worried you guys, oh my god. B-but! It worked out! I d-don't have to hide anything anymore! W-which means--! Undyne, I--"

"Yeah?"

Alphys trembled, slowly turning red again. "I--I--I have a new anime I wanna show you! We can, u-um, see it later, if you want."

"Cool! Does it have fighting in it this time?"

"U-uh, n-no, b-but--it has--a g-girl--who's good? At fighting?? B-but also... maybe... k-kissing..."

Undyne furrowed her brow. "Huh. Well, I'm sure it'll be great. We can watch that after I help you get the amalgamates home, okay?"

"O-oh, you... really want to help with that?"

"Sure! The guard knows where everyone lives, so we can help escort everyone. But, not tonight. I gotta agree with Asgore, it's pretty late."

"It's early if you don't sleep!" Papyrus offered.

"and if you do," Sans added, and Papyrus swatted at him--a move he dodged easily. "anyway, me and my bro are headed home. let us know when you wanna do science stuff, alph."

"O-of course! Like I said, I want to see what I can find out from the labs first, and I'll contact you when I have more information."

"A brilliant plan Dr. Alphys! We'll talk again soon, and finally find the solution to this most persistent of problematic happenstances. Goodnight!"

In a blink, they were gone.

Alphys shook her head. "Not gonna lie, I wanna look into how he does that t-too..."

Undyne snorted. "Guess you better add it to your project list. Here, I'll walk you to the lab."

"Oh... th-thank you."

They spent the rest of the walk back talking about anything that came to mind; anime, science, a new song Undyne had been working on. It was a nice way to finish out the evening after a long day at work, and then feeling like something awful had happened to someone Undyne cared about so much. If only she could find the right words to say, finally write a letter that could express all the feelings she had for Alphys... but this was nice enough. It seemed like Alphys really liked hanging out with her, and even if she didn't feel the same way, Undyne was glad she knew her.

She was looking forward to seeing her more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I'm happy to finally update this story again! I knew what I wanted to happen, but it was a matter of having time and focus alike to write. Meeting the Memoryheads wasn't actually planed--but I realized it was a perfect opportunity to use one of my favorite headcanons and add some action to this chapter, so overall I'm pretty satisfied with how it worked out.
> 
> I can't give any ETA on the next chapter, but I'll try to get it done soon; in the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this one! Thanks for reading! ^^


	20. Darker Yet Darker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Alphys is going to help the brothers overcome their inability to shift forms, she needs more information.
> 
> Information that lies in the grim, long-abandoned sections of the lab she never knew about.
> 
> The lab where the brothers were made.

Alphys breathed. In, and out. She meshed her fingers together, then snapped them outwards with a crackle. She picked up a hammer, a blowtorch, and lowered the welding visor over her eyes.

It was time to 'hack' into the abandoned labs.

Of all the floors listed on the elevator, all but two seemed to be operational--the entry floor, and the lowest, where she'd conducted her experiments. She'd wondered about the others, of course, but had never been able to verify that they existed. As far as she could tell, they'd been dummied out, so to speak--placeholders in the elevator's control panel that weren't actually connected to anything.

Thanks to a couple of skeletons, she knew that wasn't true. There were whole sections of her facility that had been sealed off, and who was she, as a scientist, if she didn't investigate? This was supposed to be her lab, what if there was important equipment to salvage? Not to mention the implications it might have for her friends. So she'd gathered her tools and her courage, turned off most of the elevator's safeties to keep its doors open, and began lowering it manually so there'd be no bypassing whatever floors lay between. Slowly sinking downwards, her heart leapt when a door finally rose into view in the dim light--but she quickly got to work.

The blowtorch hissed and sparked, and a clang announced it had done its work. Alphys shut it off and switched to the hammer, using it to knock the doors loose and slowly pry her way through. She could really use Undyne's muscles right now... Her strong, broad shoulders... those powerful biceps covered in glimmering scales... No! She could dream later. There were people counting on her. She wedged herself in the half-open door, braced herself against the other, and pushed with her leg. It grated open, and finally, she set foot on a floor it seemed no one had used for decades.

The landing was nondescript, lit by the weak emergency lighting she was familiar with. Even so, she exchanged the welding mask for a headlamp and flicked it on, illuminating the rest of the hall down to a doorway. She took a deep breath--and tried not to choke on the stale air. Even the ventilation system seemed to have been cut off here... She'd have to be careful. Gripping her hammer, she shuffled forward into the gloom.

A greyish-white mass erupted from the wall. Alphys shrieked, backpedaling so fast she tripped over her own tail. She landed on her back and rolled, scrambling on all fours for the elevator--and then she stopped. She recognized that electronic buzzing...

She turned, looking over her shoulder. "M-m... Memoryheads?"

The mass screeched, coalescing into a more familiar appearance, and Alphys turned over and sat as she tried to catch her breath. What were they doing here...?

"U-um, hi... you know you can leave the lab now, i-if you wanted," she said, slowly recovering from her nerves. "S-sorry I yelled, by the way, you just startled me. It's... k-kind of spooky down here, huh?"

The memoryheads buzzed like an old computer's disk drive.

"W-well, maybe not to you, ha ha... U-um... I sure hope you're the only thing lurking down here! I-I... I'm going to keep going now, okay?"

She got to her feet, brushed off her coat, and picked up her scattered tools before proceeding back down the hallway. She passed the memoryheads, and looked back to see they'd begun following her a few feet behind. What Undyne had shared about them popped into her head, and she had to wonder... Maybe they could help her.

"H-hey! So, I... I didn't make you, did I? You weren't part of my experiment."

A harsh grating sound emanated from the amalgamate. Oh, that's right--Alphys dug into her pocket for her phone. The speaker crackled with static, and she listened.

"NEGATIVE RESULT."

"O-Oh, that means, no, right?"

"That is correct."

"O-oh... Oh man... so my hypothesis... C... Can you... show me where you were made?"

"One moment, please."

The memoryheads phased through the floor.

"H-hey! I can't do that!" Alphys spluttered, then sighed. She should have known... the memoryheads were the more enigmatic of her charges... and they weren't even hers! What had she gotten into...?

"You may join us now," the phone suddenly crackled, and she jumped.

"Wh-where? What floor? What number?"

"666666666666666666666666666666666666--"

She shut the phone off, ending the harsh screech. Was there even a sixth floor? She turned back for the elevator once more--though she definitely wanted to check out all the abandoned labs had to offer, she had a priority. Back inside, she checked the panel--and there was indeed a sixth level. She'd head there, and could only hope the memoryheads actually had something for her.

A bang, clang, and scrape, and Alphys forced another set of doors open. The air here was even stuffier--a lingering chemical trace intermingled with decaying tile and carpet. She coughed, and hoped the air coming down the elevator shaft would be enough until she got the ventilation working. She'd take it slow until then.

"O-okay, I'm on the sixth floor, Memoryheads," she spoke into the phone, and static rose on the line.

"Come join the fun." "Come join the fun." "Come join the fun."

She sighed. They were helping, in their limited way. There was nothing for it but to venture into the dark, and see what she'd find. She shuffled forward, feet padding along warped linoleum--the first monster to tread these halls in years.

_No._

Alphys' breath caught in her throat. There, in the dust--there were footprints. She swallowed hard, and followed them. The hall opened into a room, and she passed by rows of deteriorating machines. She could only guess at their purpose--all rotten rubber tubing, peeling paint, and oxidizing metal. Generators, perhaps. The footprints passed them by, and so did she. Another hall lead to another room, this one lined with all kinds of monitoring equipment, their paneling and readouts coated with years of dust and stained by a burst pipe. But nothing here seemed to have a means of storing information--there wasn't much to be gleaned here. So she continued on.

She finally came to a room that looked like a laboratory, with workbenches and cabinets on one side--and a pair of operating tables on the other. There was also some kind of device on the floor--it had been shattered by an incredible force. The footprints seemed to stop by it before moving on.

The next room made Alphys gasp--and not because the air was thin. It was U-shaped, and tall cisterns lined the walls, nearly reaching the vaulted ceiling. The memoryheads waited here.

"Th... This is...?"

"It's a real get together," the memoryheads stated, apparently confirming her unfinished thought.

Alphys hurried over to examine the nearest tank, pouring over its construction. The craftsmanship, the expert tooling! What she wouldn't give for a set of blueprints or schematics or--a chill suddenly ran down her spine. No. This wasn't anything to get excited about.

She looked back up at the cracked glass walls of the tank before her. This was where the brothers had been... made. They'd both come from one of these--not sparked from a parent's soul like any other monster. If Gaster had stopped there, he might have been alright, but then he'd...

She turned back to the memoryheads. "C-can you show me... Do you know where the brothers lived down here? Sans and Papyrus?"

"Invalid statement. Please try again."

"Oh, you don't know... O-okay, I can figure it out. Thank you for leading me here."

"Our pleasure."

She nodded to them, and headed back the way she'd come. It seemed the owner of the footprints had done the same--but then had seemed to stagger... and then the trail vanished...? Weird...

Wait. Alphys squinted, and found a clear print. She placed her own foot beside it to compare. It was just a little smaller, left by rounded footwear... These were _Sans'_ footprints. She should have known...! She sighed. What had Sans been looking for down here...? In any case, his trail went cold. Alphys only had her own guidance to go on now.

There was another doorway opposite of the tank room, so she headed for it--and thanked her luck as rows of ancient computers greeted her. Finally! This was what she'd been hoping for. She headed for the nearest one, and booted it up--or, tried to. It briefly wheezed to life, only to die, and she swore under her breath as she dove under the desk to open it up. These were built into the floor?! Oh come on... Maybe she could remove the hard drives and take them back to her lab for analysis. She pried the side panel open and took a look--well, that was unusual.

And bad.

The main drives had melted together somehow, the plastic and metal a bubbled mess. She swore under her breath again, and reached in to see what her magic could tell her. The spark of magical electricity raced out, laying the computer's wiring bare in her mind's eye. It was the skill that had made her such a mechanical genius, and as she sensed the magic's ebb and flow, she sighed. She'd salvaged many a broken machine others had written off, but the chances of getting anything more than parts out of this were slim. She squeezed back out from under the desk, and surveyed the room. There were at least a dozen more... She had to hope she could get something out of those. She dusted herself off, moved to the next station, and got to work.

Three hours later, and Alphys had pulled as many drives from the remaining computers. She didn't have high hopes for these either, but they'd seemingly suffered the least damage from whatever event had fried an entire room of computers. She suspected the events leading to Gaster's disappearance might have been it... but that didn't help her now. She put the drives in her tool satchel, took one last look around the room, then headed back for the elevator.

The memoryheads burst from the floor again, and Alphys shrieked.

"G-guys! I know I sh-should be used to that by now, but please--"

The amalgamates buzzed, and she pulled out her phone to listen.

"Right this way."

"O-oh, you know of... more stuff?"

"CORRECT."

"Okay. Um, lead the way then."

Alphys shuffled after the memoryheads as they flit down the hall and into the elevator. She gave them a quizzical look--and jumped as the elevator started without any input--any visible input, at least. It rose to the next floor up, and Alphys dug for her tools, expecting another round of cutting her way in. But the doors dinged and opened smoothly onto a wide landing, and she watched the amalgamate glide out. But she shook her head and followed.

The hallway opened into a larger room, with windows along one side and a door to another hallway that continued on straight. Of chief interest to her was the large computer terminal set into the wall, but there was also a monitor near the windows, and she could just make out another placed in the hallway. If nothing else, this looked promising.

She padded over to the terminal, then blinked and turned back to the memoryheads. "Hey, u-um... thank you."

"DON'T MENTION IT." "You're welcome" "be seeing you."

They phased out, leaving Alphys alone in the abandoned lab once more. She took a deep breath, and turned back to the main terminal. This looked more advanced than the computers she'd already raided, and she hoped it had been better shielded from damage. She gathered her nerves, and turned it on. It flickered--and command-line text spurted across the screen. Alphys grinned, cracked her knuckles, and got to work. Alphys dug into the files, many of which, though corrupted, still held tantalizing fragments of data.

"O-okay, this said something about behavioral sources, and that other file mentioned cross-referencing a natural history encyclopedia with the behaviors observed in a study group... A study group of what though...?" Alphys muttered to herself as she wrote her own notes on what she'd pieced together. She'd copied down a few tables of measurements, and found parameters for the tubes she'd seen in the other rooms. But there was still more to comb through, and amid the gibberish of corrupted text more complete phrases stood out, forming a log of observations.

"...UBJECT REQUIRES FOOD. UNFORTUNATE. I WAS HOPING IT WOU..."

"...BEAM OUTPUT UNDER EXPECTED PERFORMANCE. SUBJECT CONTINUES TO EXHIB... URTHER TESTING REQUIRED..."

"...SUBJECT EXHIBITS UNUSUAL BEHAVIO... NGE OUTSIDE PREDICTED... NOT FOLLOWING MY INTENDED..."

"Y-yeah, of course they didn't, you jerk," Alphys muttered to herself as she continued to scroll through the files and copy whatever had survived. She already didn't like Gaster very much, but these files were doing nothing for his reputation. She found a proposed recipe for whatever he'd used to feed the brothers and grimaced. "Just plain food-grade magic and a few basic vitamins...? Really? That would have _no_ flavor... No wonder Sans loves fast food and Papyrus can't cook... Oh, this log looks pretty complete! Let's see what it says..."

"I HAVE NOW CONFIRMED IT... BOTH SUBJECTS EXHIBIT TROUBLING ABILITY. PHENOTYPE EXPRESSION IS VARIABLE... SEEMINGLY AT WILL. MORE TESTING WILL BE NEEDED TO DETERMINE IF THIS COULD BE... PREVENTED IN SOME WAY. FOR NOW, UNDESIRABLE ATTRIBUTES WILL BE MITIGATED."

Alphys shuddered. "M-mitigated... I guess that's a nice way of saying he made them be what he wanted... ugh. Well... there's another entry, so..."

"PHENOTYPE ISSUES PERSIST. NO PROGRESS MADE ON SUPPRESSING THE ABILITY. IT APPEARS TO BE A FUNCTION OF THEIR... DESIGN FLAW."

Alphys stared at the words before her. "Design flaw... what does he... wait.... Does he mean their _souls?!_ "

Disgusted, she pushed away from the terminal and paced. Suggesting a soul was a flaw... she couldn't understand it, couldn't comprehend the callousness this log boasted. She bristled, and static crackled across her scales--oh, the last time she'd been this angry it had been watching Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2! But as angry as she was, she needed to keep looking. She needed whatever information this place still held. She took a few more deep breaths, ran her hands over her face, and returned to the computer to keep digging.

As it so often did, the time flew as she worked. She only realized how long she'd spent browsing and recovering files when her stomach growled, signaling it was well into the night and she'd forgotten to eat. She sighed, and rubbed at weary eyes... She'd collected so much, but there was still more, dozens of files she hadn't gotten to. She'd have to come back and keep looking at this--at least she knew where it was now. And all she'd read was enough to start formulating a hypothesis.

She shut the computer down and gathered her things, then shuffled over to the windows to have a look before she headed up. She couldn't make out much in the dim light, but the room beyond seemed... huge. She looked around and... oh! There was a light switch here. She pressed it, and overhead lighting clicked on, revealing the room beyond. It _was_ huge--perhaps twice the size of the main floor upstairs, if not bigger. The walls were stained--but had clearly once been a stark, sterile white. Was this where the brothers had been... tested?

Alphys pursed her lips, and backed away. The lights had also been turned on in the hallway, showing more rooms. She wasn't sure she wanted to, but... she was curious. She shuffled on, and came to the first door. It was reinforced, and she could only just see through the window if she stood on her toes. More stark walls, though the room was much smaller--then she realized it was subdivided, with a thick window and another reinforced door splitting the room...

A pit grew in her stomach. This... had to be...

She wouldn't have believed anyone could keep a fellow monster like this. But, considering what she'd just read she wasn't surprised Gaster had only provided the bare essential to the brothers. She glanced up at the monitor set into the wall nearby. If it was anything like the ones she'd used herself... She waved her hand in front of it.

"HOLDING ROOM 1. CONTENTS: UNOCCUPIED."

"A-ah..." she uttered, and shuffled to the next. It was identical to the first.

"HOLDING ROOM 2. CONTENTS: UNOCCUPIED."

She supposed it was better they were empty... but she wanted to see them all. The third room was slightly different--it was a bit larger, and had a raised shelf on one side. If she squinted, she could just make out what seemed to be a ragged scrap of fabric laid on top of it. Was that... supposed to be a bed? Maybe this was where the brothers really lived... At least it had more space than the holding rooms, but there was nothing to make it any more comfortable. It was just bare, featureless metal walls. She grimaced, and activated the nearby monitor.

"ENCLOSURE 1: SUBJECT 1. WARNING: DO NOT APPROACH. SUBJECT IS KNOWN TO BE DANGEROUS. DO NOT PERMIT INTERACTION WITH SUBJECT 2. EXPERIMENT CONCLUSION: FAILURE."

Alphys shuddered, then turned to the next room. It was similarly barren.

"ENCLOSURE 2: SUBJECT 2. WARNING: DO NOT APPROACH. SUBJECT IS KNOWN TO ESCAPE, MAY BE DANGEROUS. DO NOT PERMIT INTERACTION WITH SUBJECT 1. EXPERIMENT CONCLUSION: FAILURE."

Alphys clenched her fists. Her friends weren't failures... they were incredible for holding together for so long, getting through so much, and then doing nice things for her and trusting her to help them. They had survived all of-- _this_. Her goal was clearer than ever--but she was too tired to work on it now. She turned her back on the abandoned lab and headed for the elevator.

Reaching the fresh air of the main floor was a relief. As tempted as she was to immediately plug the hard drives she'd collected into her computer and start recovering them, she opted to fix some instant noodles and catch up on the Undernet instead. It had been a long day... she'd get back to work tomorrow, after she'd had some time to recharge.

The drives she'd recovered from the lab were plugged into her main computer as she heated up breakfast, and she sipped at a mug of coffee as she poked at them virtually. If she could coax more information out of them, it'd bolster her suspicions. To say the code structure was archaic was... an understatement. But, it meant the password protection was easily bypassed with a few tricks--she was better at actual hacking than the 'hacking' she'd done to get into the abandoned lab floors, and in moments she'd begun browsing whatever files remained. There were plenty to choose from, many of which seemed to relate to details of the Core and other technological projects. But none seemed to relate to the brothers' origins, and after thoroughly checking the rest of the available files, she moved to the next drive.

It seemed these computers hadn't been used for anything relating to the brothers, however. Barring any damage or corruption, each drive contained essentially the same files. Alphys' best guess was that that room of computers had been used by everyone in the lab... and perhaps not everyone was allowed access to the files detailing Gaster's little project. She sighed, setting the old disks aside. She'd have to go back to that main computer after all, see what else she could get, and collect her own data to compare. And that would mean calling the brothers in for some tests.

"O-okay, just, hold still please!" Alphys said, trying to steady her own hands as Papyrus fidgeted.

"Are all of these really necessary?" he griped. "They're making me, itchy, I think."

"I n-need them so I can properly read your magic! Th-these sensors are the only way to tell what's going on with it, and they won't work if I don't get them placed just right," Alphys explained.

"think of it like one of your puzzles bro," Sans suggested helpfully from where he half-dozed nearby. "do it in the wrong order and ya gotta start over, right?"

Papyrus sighed. "I suppose. Very well!"

He finally sat perfectly still, allowing Alphys to place the rest of the sensors.

"Okay! There! That's it for that--now I need to make sure they work, and then we can get, um, some data. You guys ready?"

"Finally! We're doing real science!"

"instead of being the science done," Sans joked--was it a joke? Alphys hoped so as she flicked the electro-magical field reader on.

"Okay, just like we did for S-Sans, I'm going to need you to hold still and wait for a minute so we can get a baseline," she explained.

"Of course! I was paying attention!" Papyrus huffed. "I'm just excited! To think, after all this time, we might find out why... I'm tall, and Sans isn't!"

"well, that's one possibility," Sans said, and Alphys couldn't help but laugh.

"I sure hope we find out more than that. O-okay, just a little bit longer, and...!" She watched the timer count up to one minute, then cut the data collection off. "Okay, now, I'm going to start it again, but I'd like for you to cast a few attacks. I-it can be any pattern or bullet type, you just have to keep it up for thirty seconds!"

"A simple task for someone as great as me! I'm ready!"

"Target's over there--aaand go!"

Papyrus obliged, sending a flurry of bones at the dummy Undyne had loaned them for the day. He started with a basic array, then quickly built up to a complex pattern before finishing with a blast from his own jaws. Alphys gave him a smile as she cut the reading off.

"Okay, that was great! Sans, are you sure you can't give me at least a couple attacks to compare...?"

"Yeah, come on, Sans! Your patterns may not be as good as mine, but you don't want to mess up Alphys' data, do you? I know you can do it!" Papyrus encouraged, and his brother gave a drawn-out sigh as he got up and trudged over.

"alright, alright. i'll throw you a bone."

"Sans! You better throw more than one! You have to fill thirty seconds of data!"

"geez, don't remind me."

Alphys finished disconnecting the wires that had linked Papyrus to her machine, and reconnected the lines that were still attached to Sans from his first round of tests. "Okay, everything should be hooked back up. Are you ready?"

"as i'll ever be."

"And... go!"

Sans immediately opened with a pair of blasters before tearing into the dummy with a bone maze, then sent alternating blue and white bones at it before summoning another round of blasters. As she watched, Alphys wondered if they would have a training dummy to return to Undyne by the time this was through. She gave the signal for him to stop, and he flopped to the tile floor panting.

"Sans, you showoff! Alphys, I want to do mine again, I can do better than my troll of a brother," Papyrus said, indignant. Despite his breathlessness, Sans chuckled from the floor.

"U-uh, well, maybe later--I only needed to see you guys using your attacks, it didn't really matter how, um, flashy they were," she replied, holding up her hands. "That should be good enough for now. Th... There's one other thing I wish I could test, b-but, I think I can just use the old... the old data I was able to recover for that."

"I thought the point of this was to collect brand new, un-possibly-corrupted data?" Papyrus said, fiddling with one of the wires trailing from his skull.

"W-well, yeah, but... I can't ask you guys to do it, not when you guys have worked so hard to..." Alphys fidgeted. "I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything you don't want to, and I can't imagine you'd want to do, um, this potential round of testing... so, f-forget it! It's fine."

"you wanna know what our magic's doing when we slip," Sans surmised, pushing up into a sitting position. "isolating those patterns might tell us how to turn 'em off... that's what you're thinking, right?"

Alphys sighed. "Y-yeah... but... I know how hard it is for you guys to break out of it. And... I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to. I... I saw where he kept you. I... I read at least... _some_ of what he did to you... And I don't want this to be anything like what you went through down there."

The brothers exchanged looks. After a moment, Sans sighed. "we want to get this figured out as much as anyone. if that means... letting go... well, with any luck it'll be worth the trouble, right? plus, i'll have you guys to pull me out of it."

"Oh no you don't Sans, you are not sacrificing yourself! I mean, it's very selfless of you, but! You also have the worst time with it. So I volunteer!"

"no way papyrus, i'm not letting you do that to yourself. i'll feel better knowing you're looking out for me."

"And! You'll be looking out for me! It's fair either way!"

"no, you're not doing it. end of story bro."

"Guys," Alphys interrupted, "we don't have to do it! I shouldn't have even mentioned it, ugh."

Papyrus turned to her. "Doctor Alphys, if this is going to help us figure out how to never do this again, then I think we should. I... I want to know what he did to us."

Alphys looked at his earnest expression, and turned to Sans. "Is... Is that how you feel too?"

Sans closed his eyes and rubbed his face with a claw. "... yeah. everything we've tried... it hasn't worked. i have no idea how we figured it out as kids. so... anything that might help us get this over with... we gotta try all our options, right?"

"O-okay... If you guys are sure... then, I'll take care of my side of things. If you need a few days to decide who's going t-to... do the tests, or if we're doing them at all, that's fine. I can analyze what we collected today in the meantime."

"I think that may be best!" Papyrus replied, and Sans nodded. "You'll hear from us soon enough! You can count on it!"

"J-just, take care, okay?" Alphys said as she hurried to help remove the sensors from the brothers' skulls. "I d-don't want you guys to get hurt because of me..."

Papyrus turned to pat her head. "Don't worry about us, Doctor Alphys! We've gotten through far worse! And! This time! It's on our terms!"

She bid them farewell, hoping they hadn't all just made a terrible mistake... but she had to trust the brothers. They _had_ gotten through worse, and come out on top every time. They were counting on her to do her job--so she ought to do it. She gathered up the lines from the EM reader, and wheeled it closer to the computer so she could input the data and begin her analysis. She'd compare the brothers' readouts to samples she'd taken of herself, some of the engineers from the Core, and her friends--all to see if anything differed between them. It was bound to be interesting.

The days passed, and even as she continued trawling through the data collected by a cruel man, she realized she was having fun doing science again. Watching the numbers come together, formulating a hypothesis, tweaking variables to monitor the effects... This was so much more up her alley, finding how all the pieces fit together. And as she collected more pieces, she was getting a clearer picture of just what state the brothers' souls were in, and what Gaster's experiment had been meant to achieve.

She just needed was one last piece to confirm her idea and start working on a solution. She could only hope she'd hear from the brothers soon...

Finally, Sans called her one afternoon, sounding especially weary. "heya alph."

"Oh! H-hi, Sans! What's up?"

"i, uh think we're ready."

"... I guess Papyrus won the argument, huh?"

Sans managed a laugh. "yeah. i couldn't stand up to his flawless logic... which was 'go into the woods for a few days to loosen up' before i could get around to it myself."

"Uh. Wow."

"yeah. he's always really on top of things."

"He's... okay, right?"

"oh yeah, my bro's fine. it's just... rough, seeing him like this, y'know?"

"I bet. A-anyway, I'm ready whenever you guys are."

"ok. we'll be right up."

"Okay! I'l be ready!"

Sans hung up, and she scrambled to _actually_ be ready, because whenever Sans said he was about to be somewhere, he was almost always already there. She pulled the EM reader away from the wall, and gathered a bundle of sensors and draped them over the top just as there was a knock at the door. She squinted, because that was an automatic door...

"Come in!" she called, and the door slid open.

"you're supposed to say 'who's there'," Sans replied as he ambled in, Papyrus in tow. "alright, good luck getting him to hold still this time. don't think he's, uh, as far as he could be, but, should be enough for your tests."

Alphys looked from him to Papyrus, who was warily sniffing the floor. She could already tell in how he carried himself and studied the room that he really had fallen back on instincts. Which was what they needed for the test, but... like Sans had said. It was rough seeing him like this.

"O-okay. Papyrus?"

He perked up, and swung his head around, tilting it to one side.

"Um, hi. Can you come over here, please?"

He looked to Sans, who nodded before walking slowly over to the machine. Papyrus followed, and scrutinized the device thoroughly before sitting down and studying her patiently.

"Okay, now, I need you to hold still while I stick these on," she explained, feeling like she was repeating herself--but she wasn't sure Papyrus remembered the last time he'd been here. "Th-they might get a little itchy, but, I need you to let them stay on, okay?"

Papyrus made an uncertain warble as she approached, but Sans gave him a reassuring hoot and laid down. Alphys gave him a look.

"U-um... you're not... slipping too, are you?"

He gave her a weary shrug. "doing my best not to, but... we stick close, y'know?"

Alphys pursed her lips, but continued with her task. Papyrus was surprisingly patient despite his former concern, only fidgeting a little as she pasted the sensors onto his skull and sternum. He tried to scratch at them once--but Sans batted his hand down with a gruff rasp, and though Papyrus shot him an annoyed look, he settled down.

"Okay, they're all hooked up! I'm starting the test now--just, hang in there okay?"

Well before the minute was up, Papyrus got too fidgety again, and risked pulling away from the machine--but before Alphys could scold him, Sans started a game with him. He summoned a small bone just within the reach of Papyrus' neck, and Papyrus snapped at it--missing as Sans pulled it away at the last moment. Papyrus uttered a playful growl, his tail flicking before he lunged at the bone's new spot--and missed again. Sans evaded him a few more times before Papyrus caught the bone in his jaws and it fizzled out of existence. Sans summoned another bone, and the game began anew.

"Alright, that should be enough!" Alphys announced, and the two looked up--though Papyrus took the opportunity to catch the latest bone Sans had been taunting him with. "I think I can work with this--thank you so, so much you guys. I should have more info in a week or two... Are you really going to be okay?"

Sans shrugged. "we're going to undyne's after this, she'll get him to shape up. we'll see ya later, alph."

"O-oh, okay! Tell her I said hi," Alphys said, hoping she wasn't blushing as she peeled the last of the sensors off Papyrus. "With any luck, I'll be able to help you with a different kind of shape."

"heh, good one. ok bro, ready to see undyne?"

Papyrus warbled an affirmative, and with a click, and a blink, they were gone.

Alphys shook her head, and turned to begin analyzing her results. She still didn't get how Sans did that. Maybe there'd be something in the data.

There certainly was a lot of data to go through. Alphys had been building her hypothesis, but as she got deeper into the numbers, she realized there was more to it. She dug back into the abandoned lab's computers, hacked and reconfigured her way in, and scraped every last bit from the broken registries and hidden backups. She cheered when she found a nearly complete log charting the brothers' growth, only to feel sickened by Gaster's actions yet again as she read the suggestions on how to alter their physiology and diet to get better results--whatever that meant.

"Subject had human-derived willpower substance drawn today..." Alphys read, squinting. "Human derived... willpower substance? What does he mean by..."

A chill seized her. Surely it wasn't the same...? She scrambled back through the readouts she'd taken from the brothers, and cross referenced them. Oh. That would explain... why that part of the wavelengths had looked so odd. She sank back in her chair--it really was the same. Determination... Really, knowing the memoryheads hadn't been her doing, and the blueprints she'd found, she shouldn't be so surprised. Somehow, the brothers were stable--thank god. But, why...? Why add that to... a living weapon? Or a monster? She kept digging, trying to understand the man who'd created life just to use it as a tool.

But before she could make much progress or come to any conclusions, Undyne called her.

"Alphys, are you busy?" she said ugently, and Alphys dropped the stack of papers she'd collected.

"N-no, why?"

"It's Papyrus. We can't get him back."

Alphys froze, heart racing instantly. "...Wh-what? It wasn't too b-bad when he was here--what's going on?"

"It's," she started, frustration clear, "it's like he just keeps sliding, no matter what we do. Sans won't say anything but I can tell he's worried. We thought you might be able to tell us something..."

Alphys gave a shuddering breath. "I... It's too early, I haven't had a chance to analyze everything yet. I-I only have a guess as to why the brothers can change at all, not--not how to help them yet..."

Undyne grunted. "Okay, well, we'll help him as much as we can. Let us know as soon as you find something, okay? Please."

"I-I'm working as fast as I can. Just.. just tell them to hang in there, I should have something soon."

"Okay. Thank you, Alph."

She hung up, and Alphys was left staring ahead at her desk. It... was... _probably_ okay? The brothers had been stuck in their feral states before, and both had snapped out of it eventually. It was the pattern--even if they stayed in the blaster form for a while, they'd get back to their true selves...

A pattern.

The idea seized her. Scrambling through the papers before her, she began compiling all the notes, charts, anything that was relevant. She hoped her hunch was wrong, dread coiled tight in her chest as she began running the numbers.

A week of nearly constant work later, and she had her results in hand.

Alphys stared at it, threw it aside to pace, then came back to it. This couldn't be right. But it explained... too much about the problems they'd had. She couldn't bear the thought of telling them... but she had to, didn't she? They deserved to know. But if she told them, wouldn't they hate her...? No, they might hate her more if she didn't say something, tell them that they...

She had to tell them.

"Th-thanks for coming," she uttered, trying not to let her voice shake as Undyne and the brothers entered her lab again. Papyrus balked at the doorway, and only scuttled in once Sans had plodded into the center of the room, proving it was safe. His gaze darted around his surroundings, and he chittered nervously. Alphys frowned. They really hadn't gotten him back, and today... she'd be telling them why.

"Uh, so, how's it going?" Undyne said, trying to lighten the mood with small talk as they gathered around a fold-out table. "You said you had something for us, right? Not gonna lie, I've been super excited for the results."

Alphys sighed, and Undyne's smile fell.

"Alph... what did you find?"

"I-I," she stammered, "I found... well... I found a lot. Not everything, but, enough to figure some things out. I was able to piece together what Gaster did to make the brothers the way they are, b-but... I also found something... that's... bad. And it has to do with why Papyrus isn't back to being himself... but I didn't find out any way to help you... I'm sorry."

"s'ok. you did your best," Sans said, his head laid on the table and eyes dim. What was happening now had clearly taken its toll.

Undyne grimaced. "Well, it's only been a little bit since you started working, right? Maybe you just haven't found the answer yet. But, I think you should tell us what you did find."

"Maybe," Alphys said, trying not to sound defeated. It was true she'd only had all the data for a little while, but... she wasn't sure it would matter. "I... I want to be more honest about my work, s-so... I'll tell you what I found, even though it's bad news... If... if you don't want to hear it, I don't blame you..."

Sans closed his eyes. "Papyrus... isn't going to understand it. So... you can say whatever."

"We're not gonna be mad or anything just because you did your job," Undyne reassured her. "Tell us what you found out."

Alphys grit her teeth, and turned to Sans. "S-so... I guess I'll start with why you guys are like this to begin with. The beginning's usually a good place to start, right? Ha ha... Anyway... I'll, um, try not to ramble but... I think the gist of it... is that, Gaster tried to make a living... bullet. You know how some monsters can cast attacks that, um, seem like their own entity, right? That sort of construct is uncommon, but not unheard of--but, they're not truly living things, they're attacks the same as any other. It seems like... Gaster wanted to take this idea further, and make attacks that could potentially think for themselves and last outside of battle a long time. All to hunt humans...

"He constructed some extremely advanced attacks--based on what I could find, he figured out their most intricate workings, even how to 'program' them with certain traits or behaviors--ones he learned hunting animals on the surface have. It looks like he spent _years_ refining this technique. But... he still couldn't get them to last outside of battle like he wanted. The way he saw it... the next step was to add a little bit of soul energy. H-he, um, apparently didn't expect... that even a small amount would become a full soul. S-so... the soul formed inside this... programmed attack format.

"It was easiest for the magic to flow along these pre-constructed paths... but the soul... still contained the genetic format for a skeleton monster--a bipedal form with intelligence and skills beyond what Gaster had intended. So... without realizing it... he ended up with a sort of... hybrid, of his specialized attack, and a monster that, um... technically... was his... child."

"Gaster should count himself lucky he's erased, because if I got my hands on him..." Undyne growled, her fists clenched tightly, "he'd WISH he was."

"Y-yeah, seeing all this, I was furious too," Alphys breathed. "He... in what little I read, he just... talked like he was working with animals. M-maybe... he'd convinced himself that's all you were. B-but... so... that's... where your instincts, and ability to transform, come from. It was all him--he, unwittingly, gave your souls this ability by trying to fit them into another form."

"...huh," Sans uttered. "guess that does explain it... why we can do it, and why the instincts only come up when we're like this."

"So is there any way to like... turn it off?" Undyne said. "It's not really a part of them, so maybe--"

"I-it is, though" Alphys said, downcast. "It's as much a part of their soul as, I dunno, bone magic. A-and, turning it off, w-well... Gaster wanted to do the opposite, and take away their other form... He never actually succeeded, obviously, but... that... brings me to the bad news."

"Wh... What do you mean?"

Alphys heaved another sigh. "I didn't think anything of it at first. It just seemed like... like a coincidence, or maybe Gaster just wore you guys down over time, but... You've said it was easier to change back and forth when you were younger, right? And you just... did it less as time went on... B-but... well... with Papyrus being unable to get back from even a relatively mild slip with your guys' help... I got to thinking...

"Maybe... maybe there was actually a pattern to it. Th-that... as time has gone on... it really.... It really is getting harder for you guys to switch back and forth. Like... like the forms get more entrenched as time goes on, a-and, the longer you stay in them. S-so... I plotted all the times it mentioned you guys switching forms on a graph... a-and..."

She slid a pair of papers across the table for Sans and Undyne to study. Each was labeled with their names, and the points on the graphs plotted lines--but they looked more like waves, the crests and troughs of which increased in amplitude as time went on as their frequency decreased. A fainter line projected the waves' path into the future--and it went off the page.

"I-I... I think... W-well, the data suggests, that, if... if we can't get you guys changed back soon... you... you might... slip, and... not... not be able t-to break out of it... e-ever... ever again."

Sans' eyes blinked out. "... papyrus is going to be stuck like this forever?"

Alphys had never heard his voice break like that before. She could barely speak herself, but she couldn't leave things there. "I-I don't know, there's--there's still a chance we can bring him out of this. We just--we can't let it get too far, o-or... A-and I mean, I could be wrong! God, I hope I'm wrong... My d-data is probably pretty incomplete, I don't have much f-from, when you were younger or before all this... B-but, it's... It's a possibility, and, when you called and said you hadn't gotten him out of it, that's when I realized what might be going on, why you might not be able to change back like you did a long time ago... and, I... I'm so sorry..."

Undyne clenched her fists. "I... I really hate Gaster. ALL of this, ALL of your guys' suffering, is because of HIM, and hearing it might not be something you can escape? I WON'T accept that. Alphys, if I can help you, just tell me what to do--I'm NOT letting this guy take my friends away after he's already DEAD."

"we'll still be around," Sans uttered, voice subdued. "just won't be like we used to. i... i dunno what we'll do to live, but... h... hey, just... keep being nice to my bro, ok?"

"Sans, we're not giving up! I can't give up! I WON'T give up! I--" Undyne was interrupted as Papyrus, seeing her upset, had put his head against her arm and nuzzled it. She grimaced, and patted him with a hand as she continued. "I said it before, I'll say it as long as I need to. I won't rest until you guys are back the way you want to be. Alphys hasn't finished her research, so there might still be something we can do. For your brother's sake, don't you DARE slip, or give up, or let go. Okay?"

Sans looked up at her, beleaguered. "dunno... i was never good at fighting the inevitable..."

"Well it's not inevitable yet," Undyne stated firmly. "Alphys, if we get the bros changed back soon, what will happen?"

She thought. "I-it... it should mean it's their other forms--the regular skeleton monster form--that becomes dominant. A-at least, at least on this scale. I didn't plot ahead like... decades, s-so it's possible this doesn't show every outcome... B-but... the sooner we avert the current trend, the better..."

"so... how much time... before we're too far gone?" Sans murmured, and Alphys winced. Despite Undyne's words of encouragement, he was obviously doing pretty badly.

"I can't be sure--it, I think it depends on how much you keep exercising your mind, since that seems to be what's helped you break out of it. I'd... I'd keep trying with Papyrus too. I... I'm with Undyne on this one, I... I don't want to give up, even though it looks really bad... S-so, please... you can't give up, Sans. I know that's really hard for you, b-but... one of the other things I discovered, that I'm still researching is... that... You both have artificially elevated levels of Determination. I... I think that's something else he figured out--how to give Determination to monsters in a safe way. It might be another factor in why you haven't been able to change back, but... It might help keep you going, too."

Sans studied her for a while, then closed his eyes. "i dunno. all this... sounds like there was never anything we could do about it. the moment either of us changed this last time... our fate was sealed. i'm... i'm just so tired. all the work we've done to keep ourselves together... it didn't get us anywhere. i... i'll try to keep it together, for papyrus... i don't want to leave him hanging. but... it's been real hard. and if it's only going to get harder... i don't think i can keep it up for much longer."

Undyne reached over to pat his shoulder. "Look, we'll get through this. You just keep holding on to yourself, I'll help with Papyrus--done that before--and Alphys will keep looking for a solution. Monsters didn't get to where we are today by giving up, so you can't either."

"Yeah Sans, I promise I'll keep looking," Alphys stated--Undyne's will was bolstering her own. "Now that I have an idea of what's going on... maybe I can figure out how to undo it--not, not all the way. Like I said, this... this is a part of your soul. But... if we can figure out how you can change back, then, it should stay dormant for a long, long time. And, that's worth going after."

Sans opened his eyes, their lights returned as he studied them both, then looked to his brother, who had gotten bored and wandered off to bat a piece of crumpled paper across the floor. "i... to be honest? i dunno if i care how we end up. all i want is for papyrus to be happy. but... i guess... if i slip too, i dunno who's gonna take care of him. if i can't hold a job, we can't pay for a house, or good food, or... he couldn't do any of the stuff he really loves. i, uh, remember how it was when we lived in the forest, and... i don't want him living like that ever again. so... i guess i do have to keep it together, huh?"

Alphys smiled with relief. "Y-yeah, you do. I still have a lot of data to go through, s-so, nothing's decided yet, b-but... I figured you should know what might be happening, and... hopefully... do something about it. I know I'm going to try."

"Yeah, don't worry! We've got your backs, okay?" Undyne said, grinning widely. She wound up to slap him on the back, but he dodged out of the way.

"ok, don't make that literal," he said, sounding a little better as he squinted at her. "i, uh... won't make any promises. but... hey, maybe i should help with the research too. if there's anything good i inherited from gaster, it was his smarts. science stuff is still cool, despite him."

"I'm glad he didn't totally ruin it for you," Alphys replied, heart soaring as her own hopes returned. "I certainly could use the help, and it would help keep your mind sharp, s-so, if it's not too much for you... that might be good for both of us."

"heh... using gaster's own specialty against him? can't say i don't like the sound of that," Sans replied, something like spiteful glee shining in his eyes now. "yeah. count me in."

"Aw man, all of us working together!" Undyne cheered. "It'll be great!"

"Yeah... yeah, I think that'll be nice. I'm... I'm sorry I couldn't give you guys good news today, but... That's hardly the end of it," Alphys said. "We'll see where the data leads us, and go from there, and not give up until we're sure we've thought of everything. Until then... I'm not through with Gaster's work. He... he's dead... But I won't let him win!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I know it's been a wait for this too, but it took me so long to write the chapter--I knew what I wanted to happen, but couldn't get the words to flow--until one afternoon when I wrote basically the whole thing. Ain't that just the way? XD
> 
> But oh man, even if it took me a long time, I got to do some fun stuff here! The memoryheads made a return, and we get to see just a glimpse of Gaster's thought processes. I usually characterize him as a much goofier mad scientist archetype (Doc Brown, Ford Pines, Cave Johnson--you know the type), so it was entertaining to go full badster for this story even if it means bad things for the bros. Can't these skeletons ever catch a break? :"D
> 
> Well... you'll see. No promises on when the next chapter will be out, but I have a pretty good idea what's going on--I owe my life to my beta reader, who's let me bounce countless ideas with them. ;u;
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, and look forward to the next!

**Author's Note:**

> And so it begins! My attempt at the regular Gaster Blaster AU, and as such, it's angstier than most of my other work; you won't find much humor here, alas. 
> 
> This will be crossposted to my tumblr as well, and I'll try to update Sundays; I have several chapters written but the story isn't finished yet. Thanks for reading, and I hope you look forward to it!


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